New Lawsuit Launched Against Skittles Claiming They're 'Unfit For Human Consumption'

A new lawsuit alleges that Skittles are 'unfit for human consumption'.

Yep, taste the rainbow and, apparently, titanium dioxide.

At least that's what a lawsuit filed on Thursday 14 July in California, US takes issue with.

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Who doesn't love Skittles? Jenile Thames, it turns out, because the San Leandro resident is seeking a class-action suit against Mars Inc, which owns Skittles.

So, what's Jenile's issue with Skittles? Well, according to the lawsuit, the ingredients mean that those who consume the confectionary "are at heightened risk of a host of health effects for which they were unaware stemming from genotoxicity – the ability of a chemical substance to change DNA."

The substance to which Jenile is referring is titanium dioxide, which the company pledged to phase out in 2016.

However, the new lawsuit suggests that the company only implemented these changes because "consumers today are calling on food manufacturers to use more natural ingredients in their products."

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Jenile's lawsuit goes on to allege that the company claimed that the artificial colours used in their product 'pose no known risks to human health or safety', as reported by The Guardian.

It adds: "In doing so, Defendant [Mars] concealed from consumers material information it knew."

The lawsuit goes on to suggest that the company continues to sell confectionery that contains titanium dioxide.

It even goes so far as to say that Mars Inc is "failing to inform consumers of the implications of consuming the toxin."

Jenile's lawsuit also takes issue with the company's use of packaging: "Instead, Defendant relies on the ingredient list which is provided in minuscule print on the back of the Products, the reading of which is made even more challenging by the lack of contrast in color between the font and packaging, as set out below in a manner in which consumers would normally view the product in the store."

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For those who don't know what titanium dioxide is, which we'd imagine is a fair few, it's used in industrial products, like paint, plastics and roofing materials.

So, you can see why people are against its use in food, with research suggesting that the human body is actually incapable of breaking down the nanoparticles in titanium dioxide.

This in turn can lead to health issues, including changes to DNA, inflammation, and cell necrosis.

As a result of these findings, the EU is planning to ban the use of titanium dioxide in food next month, as reported by Insider.

A spokesperson for Mars Inc said in response to the comments: "While we do not comment on pending litigation, our use of titanium dioxide complies with FDA regulations."