Mars, the maker of Skittles, has confirmed that the popular candy is no longer being made with the color additive titanium dioxide in the United States. Mars says it removed the additive from its U.S. Skittles portfolio at the end of 2024.

Mars has been criticized for years for using titanium dioxide in the candy, and the color additive’s removal more or less coincided with President Donald Trump’s pick of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Trump announced Kennedy as his pick for HHS Secretary on November 14, 2024. 

Since assuming the post, Kennedy has made processed foods one of his key areas of focus.

As reported by Food Safety Magazine, HHS and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) held a press conference in April announcing their intent to phase out the use of petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the nation’s food supply. That reporting can be found here.

Then, on May 22, the Trump administration released its "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) Report, which specifically lists titanium dioxide among food chemicals having potentially harmful effects on health. Specifically, the report says titanium dioxide may cause cellular and DNA damage. Food Safety Magazine’s reporting on MAHA can be found here.