Despite some viral social media posts claiming that Skittles candy will be banned in California in 2027, there is no truth to this claim. A new law signed by Governor Gavin Newsom will indeed ban certain food additives that have been deemed dangerous by some studies, but it does not include Skittles candy. The law specifically targets four chemicals commonly used in snacks like Peeps, Brach’s candy corn, and Little Debbie Cosmic Brownies: red dye No. 3, potassium bromate, brominated vegetable oil, and propylparaben.
The law has been mistakenly referred to as a “Skittles ban” because a previous version of the bill would have banned titanium dioxide, which is found in Skittles candy. However, the final version of the law no longer mentions titanium dioxide. Even if it did, companies would have until 2027 to reformulate their products to exclude the banned chemicals.
It is true that the European Commission banned the use of titanium dioxide last year, but Skittles can still be found on shelves in Europe because the candies sold there do not contain the banned chemical. Governor Newsom has criticized the use of the “Skittles ban” nickname, pointing out that other countries that have banned titanium dioxide still sell Skittles.
Despite these factual clarifications, there are numerous false claims circulating on social media about California outlawing Skittles. These claims have received significant attention, with posts garnering thousands of likes and millions of views. It is important to note that there is a zero percent chance of Skittles actually being banned in California, as stated by California state Rep. Jesse Gabriel, who introduced the bill. The intent of the law is simply to encourage companies to switch to alternative recipes, as they have done in other countries that have banned these chemicals.
In conclusion, while California’s new law will ban certain food additives, it will not ban Skittles or any other specific candy. The viral social media claims suggesting otherwise are false.