Left: Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton. Right: Skittles (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan and Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
In 2016, Mars committed to removing all artificial colors from all its human food products, which at the time it said was "part of a commitment to meet evolving consumer preferences."
The company said that though it believed "artificial colors pose no known risks to human health or safety," it was making the change because "consumers today are calling on food manufacturers to use more natural ingredients in their products."
Mars said that "against this backdrop, Mars will work closely with its suppliers to find alternatives that not only meet its strict quality and safety standards, but also maintain the vibrant, fun colors consumers have come to expect from the company's beloved brands."
In a later update, however, Mars said it had found that "many of our consumers across the world do not, in fact, find artificial colors to be ingredients of concern" and "for that reason, we will continue to prioritize our efforts to remove artificial colors in Europe — where consumers have expressed this preference — but will not be removing all artificial colors from our Mars Snacking portfolio in other markets."
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Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a news conference on the Autism report by the CDC at the Hubert Humphrey Building Auditorium in Washington, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
White House Senior Advisor on Make America Healthy Again Calley Means has slammed Mars for refusing to remove artificial colors from its products, saying, "this is commonsense" and "these are petroleum-based dyes that have no nutritional value."
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This follows Paxton launching a similar investigation into General Mills, after which the company committed to removing artificial dyes from its products. The Texas attorney general has also targeted Kellogg’s for allegedly violating the state’s consumer protection laws by claiming to have removed dyes in its foods.
Paxton is currently running to unseat Republican Sen. John Cornyn. Last week, Paxton's wife of 38-years, Texas state Sen. Angela Paxton, announced that she had filed for divorce on "biblical grounds."
Fox News Digital reached out to Mars for comment.
Peter Pinedo is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/first-fox-red-state-investigating-mms-skittles-manufacturer-deceptive-practices