Mars Inc, which owns Skittles, has been sued by a consumer who claims that the sweets are unsafe to eat because they contain a known toxin that the company had pledged to phase out six years ago.
In a proposed class action, plaintiff Jenile Thames accused Mars of putting consumers at risk by using “heightened levels” of titanium dioxide (TiO2) as a food additive.
The lawsuit also highlighted that the European Union is set to ban titanium dioxide next month after a food safety regulator there deemed it unsafe due to "genotoxicity”.
"A reasonable consumer would expect that [Skittles] can be safely purchased and consumed as marketed and sold," the complaint said. "However, the products are not safe."
The lawsuit is seeking unspecified damages for fraud and violations of California consumer protection laws.
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