Skittles, Taste the Cancer (allegedly)

Sometimes you want to taste the rainbow, but to what consequence? A man in California believes that Skittles should no longer be consumed because they contain titanium dioxide. You read that right: a man is opening a class action lawsuit against Mars Inc. over skittles containing titanium dioxide.

It may be helpful to know that titanium dioxide was banned in the European Union (EU) in 2021 as a result of having a better understanding of nanoparticles and their impacts on the human body. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) concluded that genotoxicity (which can lead to carcinogenic effects) could not be ruled out for titanium dioxide and therefore products containing titanium dioxide are no longer considered safe for human consumption.

In 2022, the UK Food Standards Agency and Food Standards, Scotland, announced that they disagreed with the EFSA ruling and therefore did not participate in the ban. Remember Brexit? Due to that, the UK can still get their skittles. This makes the US not the only country to not have a ban on titanium dioxide in place. If you are hesitant, know that even Health Canada decided not to ban it after reviewing current evidence on titanium dioxide as a food additive.

So, what exactly is titanium dioxide? Obviously inorganic (in a chemistry sense, this word means "not a carbon chain"), titanium dioxide is a white, water-insoluble solid. It is most commonly used as a paint pigment (ie: titanium white), product pigment (ie: sunscreen), or food coloring (color E171). Titanium dioxide is used in roughly two-thirds of all pigments. In fact, it's used in a lot of paints and varnishes, as well and paper and plastic products. This use makes up 80% of the world's titanium dioxide consumption.

While it can be concerning to read that you're consuming something that is commonly found in paint, know that what is present in food dyes is minimal, even if it is classified as possibly (not confirmed) carcinogenic to humans if inhaled as a dust. However, there is no substantial evidence in human studies that show that there is an association between occupational exposure to titanium dioxide and an increased risk for cancer. Studies have, however, found that nanoparticle sized titanium dioxide can cause an inflammatory response and genetic damage in mice, but the extent to that damage and the mechanism in which cancer may be caused is currently unclear.

Who else might potentially be in trouble if the lawsuit against Mars Inc. is successful? Potentially Dunkin' Donuts, though they allegedly dropped titanium dioxide from their products in 2015 due to public pressure to do so. Although, so did Mars Inc. (for the same reason as Dunkin' Donuts and at a similar time), which the lawsuit claims it has not. In fact, that is the main argument of the lawsuit - that Mars Inc. is aware of the dangers of, and the concern surrounding, titanium dioxide and should have stopped using it as an additive in 2019 when France banned it.

So, why should you care? Well, the long-term impact would be that if that titanium dioxide is a carcinogen and if it can cause major damage to genes, then the use of titanium dioxide in food will impact your cost of healthcare in the long run. If a significant number of people end up with relatively rare genetic disorders and/or cancer as a result of the consumption of Skittles over time the cost of care for our population as a whole will increase. This means potentially higher Medicare and Medicaid taxing to offset the higher cost of care. The alternative would be lower quality of care for those who are considered "well," but even that will be costly over time.