"Toxic Substances Found in Popular Products of Famous Confectionery Company... Lawsuit Filed in the US for Breaking Promise to Stop Use"

California Residents Claim Titanium Dioxide in Products as "Toxic Substance"
File Class Action Lawsuit in Federal District Court

Skittles

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Nayeon] A report has emerged claiming that the popular product 'Skittles' from the famous American confectionery company Mars Wrigley contains toxic substances.

On the 15th (local time), according to the British daily The Guardian, Jenil Tems, a resident of California, filed a complaint at the Northern District Federal Court of California the day before and applied for a class-action lawsuit against Mars Wrigley.

He claimed that the food additive titanium dioxide used in the manufacture of Skittles is a "toxic substance," and argued that although the company announced plans in 2016 to phase out the use of titanium dioxide and stated it would comply with regulations when France banned the use of titanium dioxide as a food additive in 2019, it did not follow through.

He also claimed that Mars Wrigley is still selling candies containing titanium dioxide in the United States, and that the ingredient list indicating the presence of titanium dioxide was printed in small letters in colors that did not contrast well with the packaging, making it difficult for consumers to recognize the related information.

According to The Guardian, a spokesperson for Mars Wrigley declined to comment on the ongoing lawsuit.

Titanium dioxide, a widely used ingredient in candy manufacturing and baking due to its coloring enhancement effects, has generally been considered harmless to the environment and human health. However, since a 2016 study revealed that titanium dioxide nanoparticles may worsen intestinal inflammation, voices calling for regulation of this ingredient have been rising, especially in some countries.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) stated in 2021 that "titanium dioxide can no longer be considered safe as a food additive."

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), under the World Health Organization (WHO), still classifies titanium dioxide as a Group 2B carcinogen, meaning it is possibly carcinogenic to humans.

Meanwhile, in April, the famous Italian confectionery company Ferrero requested the disposal of Kinder chocolates, which were not officially sold in the United States, due to concerns about Salmonella contamination.

According to foreign media, Ferrero explained that these products may have come from the same manufacturing batch that was recently recalled in Europe due to concerns about Salmonella infection.

Earlier, Ferrero North America voluntarily recalled two types of Kinder products sold in the United States, but in Spain, the United Kingdom, and Ireland, other products besides these two were also recalled, and Belgian authorities requested consumers to avoid consuming other Kinder products as well.

Regarding this, the company stated, "So far, there have been no reported cases of illness caused by chocolate in the United States," and added, "We are cooperating with U.S. health authorities to resolve the issue."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.