Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has opened an investigation into Mars, Incorporated, the manufacturer of M&M’s and Skittles, for alleged deceptive trade practices affecting Texas consumers. The inquiry focuses on Mars’ 2016 public pledge to eliminate artificial colors from its food products, a commitment the company failed to uphold in the United States, while reportedly fulfilling it for European markets. Paxton has issued a Civil Investigative Demand (CID) seeking documents from the company to determine whether its actions violated Texas consumer protection laws.
Mars is also under scrutiny for claiming that artificial dyes pose “no known risks to human health or safety,” despite studies linking these dyes to adverse health conditions such as ADHD, autism, and cancer. “Mars must remove toxic artificial dyes from its U.S. food products not only to honor its public commitment and ensure that it stays on the right side of the law, but also because it’s the right thing to do,” said Paxton. He added, “It’s time for Mars to follow the lead of other companies like Nestle and Hershey by removing synthetic dyes from its products.” Paxton has previously led similar efforts, including an investigation that prompted General Mills to eliminate synthetic dyes from its products.
