Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton is launching an investigation into M&Ms and Skittles manufacturer Mars for alleged "deceptive and illegal practices" regarding the company's use of artificial dyes in its candies.
In a statement sent to Fox News Digital, Paxton's office tied the investigation to the attorney general's effort to be a "nationwide leader in fighting alongside" Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and President Donald Trump's Make America Healthy Again initiative to "help Americans get healthier by holding accountable big food companies who violate the law and deceive consumers about their ingredients."
Paxton's office is asserting that Mars' alleged misrepresentation of artificial dyes in some of its candies, including M&Ms and Skittles, constitutes deceptive trade practices that run afoul of Texas consumers' rights.
The attorney general further pointed out that while Mars continues to use artificial colors in its products in the U.S., it has stopped doing so in Europe.
AMERICA'S DAIRY FARMERS AND ICE CREAM PRODUCERS AGREE TO QUIT USING ARTIFICIAL COLORS
"While we do not comment on active proceedings, all Mars Wrigley ingredients are manufactured in compliance with strict quality and safety regulations established by food safety authorities, including the FDA," a Mars spokesperson told Fox News Digital.
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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In Paxton's statement, his office said that "Mars also falsely claimed that 'artificial colors pose no known risks to human health or safety,' which could not be further from the truth as these dyes have been linked to a number of negative health outcomes, including Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), autism, and even cancer."
The statement said that Paxton has issued a Civil Investigative Demand to obtain documents from Mars as part of the investigation.
"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," Paxton said in a statement sent to Fox News Digital.
"It's clear that the movement to remove artificial colorings from our food supply is making incredible progress, and it's time for Mars to follow the lead of other companies like Nestle and Hershey by removing synthetic dyes from its products," he went on, adding, "For the health of Texans and all Americans, Mars must fulfill its 2016 pledge to get rid of these toxic ingredients."
WHITE HOUSE RESPONDS TO REPORTS OF MARS INC PUSHING BACK ON ELIMINATING FOOD DYES
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."
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."
