A new bill in the California legislature could result in the initial prohibition on the sale of Skittles and other confections containing food additives, despite the fact that this is old news.
Assembly Bill 418 bans the production, distribution, and retail of food products containing titanium dioxide, potassium bromate, brominated vegetable oil, red pigment no. 3, and propylparaben.
Other brands are also being criticized for their use of additives, including Skittles, which has already been subject to scrutiny due to its utilization of titanium dioxide.
Consumer Reports requested Peeps maker Just Born Quality Confections to stop using red dye no. 3, calling it "a dangerous food chemical" and "a known carcinogen" in a news release earlier this month.
At present, the additives enumerated in Assembly Bill 418 are deemed safe by the FDA, despite their common applications involving imparting color, flavor, and durability.
In contrast, the European Food Safety Authority's independent assessment found additives can cause cancer, asthma, cognitive decline, balance issues, and disturbed behavior.
Importation and consumption of food products containing additives were prohibited by the European Union.
Importation and consumption of food products containing additives were prohibited by the European Union.
Gabriel wrote to Today.com, "These companies will make minor recipe changes to remove harmful and poisonous compounds.
Skittles and other brands have updated their formulae in countries where these compounds are banned, such as the EU and UK.