So, about that rainbow…

A California plaintiff is suing Mars Inc., alleging that its Skittles candy is “unfit for human consumption” based on the amount of titanium dioxide found in its artificial coloring.

⚖️🌈 A deeper dive… The drama dates back to 2016, when Mars first pledged to phase out the use of titanium dioxide, or TiO2, in all of its products.

• TiO2 is found in a variety of industrial products, like paints and adhesives, but it’s also used in food coloring to give it a brighter appearance.
• According to people paid to know these sorts of things, humans can’t actually digest TiO2 – and having too much of it can lead to a host of ailments, including alterations to DNA, chromosomal damage, and inflammation.

🌍 Across the pond: France instituted a full ban on TiO2 in food products in 2020, and the EU has its own ban set to take effect next month.

🤔🐟 Zoom out: Mars isn’t the only food company facing legal challenges as of late. A federal judge in California recently ruled a plaintiff can move forward with a lawsuit alleging that Subway’s tuna isn’t actually tuna.