Skittles-maker Mars phases out controversial colour additive
Skittles in the US are no longer being made with titanium dioxide, a colour additive that was banned in the European Union in 2022 over possible health risks.Sweets giant Mars said it had stopped using the ingredient in its US Skittles portfolio at the end of last year.The move follows years of criticism about the presence of titanium dioxide in the candy and comes as US President Donald Trump's elevation of Robert F Kennedy Jr to lead the Department of Health and Human Services has pushed concerns about processed foods to the front of public health debates. Mars had said in 2016 that it would stop using "all artificial colours" in its foods, citing evolving consumer preferences.
Mars and other firms have disputed claims of health risks associated with consumption of titanium dioxide, a white pigment that is used in bakery products, sweets, cosmetics and other products such as paint.It is allowed in many countries, including the US, UK, Canada and New Zealand. In the US, a high-profile 2023 effort in California to ban the ingredient was defeated, but efforts in other states continue to bubble.The White House's Make America Healthy Again report published earlier this month also spotlighted titanium dioxide and other food additives as a concern. Mars, which also makes M&Ms, Snickers and Kind snack bars, did not explain why it had made the decision, which was first reported by Bloomberg. The company did not respond when asked whether the change would apply to Skittles sold outside the US. "Our commitment to quality is what has enabled Mars to be enjoyed by consumers for over a century, and nothing is more important than the safety of our products," a spokesperson said in a statement. "All our products are safe to enjoy and meet the high standards and applicable regulations set by food safety authorities around the world, and that's something we will never compromise on."
Skittles, which have ranked among the world's most popular chewy candies, were invented in the UK. They have been made in the US since 1981. Mars' Wrigley division bought the brand in 2009.In 2022, the company faced a class-action lawsuit over titanium dioxide in Skittles, which was dismissed.
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The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
How the carefully planned US bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities unfolded
Late on Friday night, eight US B-2 bombers took off from Whiteman air force base in Missouri and turned westwards towards the Pacific. Amateur flight trackers plotted their progress on social media as the black flying-wing warplanes joined up mid-air with refuelling tankers and checked in with air traffic controllers once they had reached the open ocean. The movement of the B-2 bombers towards the US Pacific base on Guam triggered speculation that Donald Trump was arranging pieces on the board before a decision on whether to join Israel in bombing Iranian nuclear facilities. On Thursday, Trump had let it be known that he would make that decision over the following two weeks, suggesting a window remained open for some last-ditch diplomatic alternative to war. He angrily denied a Wall Street Journal report that he had already approved a strike plan. The British, French and German foreign ministers seized the opportunity to meet their Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, for talks in Geneva on Friday but to little or no avail. Trump himself was characteristically dismissive of European efforts. 'Nah, they didn't help,' he told journalists. We know now that and the B-2 flights over the Pacific were part of the same elaborate ruse to ensure Iran was off its guard and looking the wrong way, and that the president's declared two-week diplomatic window was likely to be part of the same ploy. The Pentagon described the eight bombers that were spotted flying west as a decoy, a deception effort known only to an extremely small number of planners and leaders in Washington and at central command headquarters in Tampa, Florida. As they were tracked across the western states and then the Pacific, another seven B-2s took off from Whiteman base and headed in the opposite direction – eastwards. These seven planes made no communications with each other or with the ground as they crossed America and flew unnoticed over the Atlantic. The planes and their two-pilot crews flew all day and into Saturday night, refuelled mid-air along the way by tankers that had been deployed to Europe over the previous week. The careful orchestration and prepositioning, some of it predating the Israeli surprise attack on Iran on 13 June, raises questions over how early Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu decided to join forces to go to war against Iran, and over how much of the US president's professed interest in a diplomatic solution, and apparent effort to discourage an Israeli attack, was all part of the charade. As far back as May, during a visit to Doha, Trump went out of his way to denigrate the B-2's design, declaring 'I'm not a huge believer in stealth', because it made for an 'ugly plane'. By the time the flight of seven of these ugly planes arrived in the Middle East at the eastern edge of the Mediterranean, it was midnight local time on Saturday. The mission they had been assigned was codenamed Midnight Hammer, and to carry it out the bombers were joined by an escort of US fighter jets, surveillance and reconnaissance planes deployed in the region earlier – 125 aircraft in all. Together they flew on eastwards, with hardly a word exchanged between the pilots, to maintain the all-enveloping secrecy surrounding the operation. At the same time as the warplanes reached the Lebanese coast, a US submarine loitering somewhere in the Arabian Sea launched Tomahawk cruise missiles, synchronised to reach their targets in Iran at the same time the bombers arrived. The Tomahawks flew low over the Gulf of Oman and up over south-east Iran as seven B-2s and their accompanying fighters crossed Lebanon, Syria and Iraq (according to a map provided by the Pentagon on Sunday) and entered Iran from the north-west at about 1.30am local time. The chair of the US joint chiefs of staff, Dan Caine, described the whole operation as 'a complex, tightly timed manoeuvre requiring exact synchronisation across multiple platforms in a narrow piece of airspace, all done with minimal communications'. The primary target was the farthest north, near the Shia religious centre of Qom, the underground enrichment facility at Fordow, generally thought impregnable to every conventional weapon with the possible exception of America's biggest bomb, the 30,000lb (13,500kg) GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator. The seven B-2s approaching from the north were each carrying two of them. The second target was Natanz, Iran's first enrichment facility, and the third was a complex of facilities outside the ancient city of Isfahan, which is linked to other parts of the nuclear fuel cycle, and which had already been partly damaged by Israeli bombing. Before the bombers arrived at these targets, according to Caine's account, their fighter escort swept the area for any sign of Iranian warplanes, released decoys and opened fire on air defence sites on the ground. Apparently, there was no return fire. The Pentagon was 'unaware of any shots fired at the US strike package'. Iran's defensive shield had been flattened over the preceding week by relentless Israeli sorties. The bombers struck between 2.10am and 2.35am Iranian time, the Pentagon said, hitting Fordow at 'several aim points'. It was the first time the enormous GBU-57 bunker-busting bomb had been used in a US operation. It is unclear how many of the total of 14 were dropped on Natanz or Isfahan. The Tomahawk missiles fired by the navy were all aimed at Isfahan, Caine said, and landed slightly after the other two facilities were struck. The US warplanes turned around and headed back the way they had come, leaving Iranian airspace at 3am. By that time, reports had surfaced on Iranian media of explosions in the region of the nuclear facilities, and a quarter hour later, Trump confirmed the operation in the way he has made most of his presidential announcements – on his private online platform, Truth Social, complete with key words in all-capitals. 'A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow,' Trump wrote. 'All planes are safely on their way home. Congratulations to our great American Warriors. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!' Addressing the nation a little later on television, Trump said the targets had been 'totally and completely obliterated', a claim that was modified over the course of Sunday to 'severely damaged'. The president appealed once more for Iran to sue for peace, which he has made clear would involve a surrender of all its nuclear programme. The message was repeated by other members of the administration throughout the day. Midnight Hammer would be a one-off US intervention, as long as Iran did not try to fire back and complied with the terms laid down by him and Netanyahu. Any retaliation, Trump said, returning to all caps on Truth Social, would be met with 'FORCE FAR GREATER THAN WHAT WAS WITNESSED TONIGHT'. By the end of Sunday, however, there was no sign of compliance from Tehran. Araghchi, vowed that Midnight Hammer would have 'everlasting consequences' adding that Iran reserved the right to 'all options to defend its sovereignty, interest, and people'. Iran played down the impact of the US bombs, saying that the country's reserves of high-enriched uranium had been removed from Fordow long before, and all the damage inflicted could be repaired. On Sunday morning, Iran launched a new salvo of missiles at Israel, one of which flattened most of a city block in north Tel Aviv. By the end of the day, Iran's parliament had approved a bill calling for the closing of the strait of Hormuz, the gateway to the Persian Gulf, through which over a fifth of the world's oil needs flows daily. Iran's president, Masoud Pezeshkian, warned that the US must 'receive a response' to its attacks. Tehran has previously threatened to target US bases spread across eight countries in the region, if the US were to join the Israeli attacks. In reality, its military capabilities are constrained by the withering attacks of the past 10 days, but late on Sunday the regime was saying it would explore all its options, while making clear that submission was not one of them.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Starbucks set to 'further MAHA' its menu, RFK Jr says
Published: | The specific changes were not revealed, but Niccol has previously said he wants his chain's drinks to contain less sugar and to include health-promoting ingredients — potentially including protein powder. Revealing the meeting on X, RFK Jr said he was 'pleased to learn' that Starbucks menus 'already avoid artificial dyes, artificial flavors, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners and other additives'. Last week, the chain revealed it was testing a sugar-free vanilla latte topped with protein banana cold foam, and earlier this year it removed sugar from its matcha powder — after which sales of the drink spiked 40 percent. The chain has also dropped the 80-cent surcharge on its nondairy milks — which they said was to improve customer experience. Starbucks is the largest coffee chain in the US, with nearly 17,000 stores nationwide — although it has seen sales decline recently. Its proposed changes come amid a 'MAHA-isation' of America's food supply, with major corporations rushing to remove additives and artificial dyes from their products to fall more in line with the new administration's Make America Healthy Again initiative. RFK Jr's supporters were quick to react angrily to the move, however, accusing the HHS Secretary of 'propping up' a big corporation and saying Starbucks' move was 'too little, too late'. One commenter on X said: 'Sir. Why are you doing this? There are 81 grams of sugar in Starbucks' most popular drink. 'Cool they're not using dyes, or high fructose corn syrup, I'm happy about that. But, this is not what we're here to prop up. These companies should be shamed for driving the chronic disease epidemic.' A second said: 'Mr Kennedy, that's all great and all, but you do realize those drinks have an enormous amount of calories, which will do more harm than dyes and sweeteners.' Others shared the long list of ingredients in Starbucks' staples like the sausage, cheddar and egg sandwich, which included Maltodextrin and Xanthan Gum, emulsifiers linked to a higher risk of colon cancer, and ammonium sulfate, an inorganic salt often used as a fertilizer. Starbucks has regularly faced criticism over the high calorie and sugar content of its drinks — with high consumption of these linked to weight gain. Its summer menu includes a berry iced drink called Summer Skies, which has 26 grams of sugar per 16-ounce serving, and a Summer-Berry Lemonade Refresher, which contains 33 grams of sugar in a 16-ounce serving. The American Heart Association recommends that men consume no more than 36 grams of added sugar a day, and women no more than 25 grams per day. During the 2024 election, Starbucks spent more than $1.5million on political lobbying efforts, donating $11,118 to the Trump campaign, records suggest , and more than $488,000 to Democrat candidates — including $158,365 to then-vice president Kamala Harris. The coffee behemoth is far from the only one making radical changes. Earlier this week, Kraft Heinz — the company behind Kraft Mac and Cheese and Heinz Ketchup — revealed it would remove artificial colors from its products by 2027. And General Mills, which produces Cheerios, also said it would banish artificial colors from its foods by the same year.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
US warns it WILL strike again and world ‘should listen to Trump' as Iran leaders jet to meet Putin after nuke bomb blitz
THE US has warned it will strike again and that the world "should listen to Trump" after unleashing an unprecedented blitz on three nuclear facilities. It comes imminently after the Iranian foreign minister revealed he is to meet with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and warned the West of "unprecedented danger". 4 4 4 4 US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Operation Midnight Hammer was 'an incredible and overwhelming success' that took months and weeks of planning. He added Trump has been clear that "any retaliation by Iran" against the US would be "met with force far greater" than what was seen on Saturday night. Hegseth said: 'Iran would be smart to heed those words. He's said it before, and he means it.' The Defence Secretary went on to praise the US leader, calling it "bold and brilliant, showing the world that American deterrence is back". He urged: "When this President speaks, the world should listen." Iran's foreign minister Abbas Arghchi has said he is going to Russia today to meet mad leader Putin. He revealed: 'I'm going to Moscow this afternoon, and I have a meeting with President Putin tomorrow morning.' Arghchi called Moscow a 'friend of Iran,' adding 'we always consult with each other'. Fears loom that the conflict could spiral into a world war, with Putin puppet Dmitry Medvedev making a veiled threat to supply Iran with nuclear weapons. He said: "A number of countries are ready to directly supply Iran with their nuclear weapons." After declaring the US strikes as being a success, Trump warned that further action could be taken if Tehran doesn't agree to an adequate peace deal. He said in a nationally televised speech at the White House: " Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier." "There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days." 'Remember there are many targets left. Tonight's was the most difficult of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal. 'But if peace does not come quickly we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill. 'Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes. There's no military in the world that could have done what we did tonight." And shortly after speaking on-camera, he posted to Truth Social: "This cannot continue. There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days. "Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight's was the most difficult of them all, by far, and perhaps the most lethal. "But if peace does not come quickly we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill." Meanwhile Iran's foreign minister Abbas Arghchi dubbed the strikes "outrageous and will have everlasting consequences". He also called the military action "a grave violation of the UN Charter, international law and the NPT by attacking Iran's peaceful nuclear installations". Today, 15:46 By Annabel Bate Iran says UK foreign sec 'expressed regret' over US strikes UK foreign secretary David Lammy had a phone call with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi. According to the readout in Tehran, the two discussed "the latest developments related to the United States' aggression against our country's peaceful nuclear facilities". It added: "In this telephone conversation, our country's foreign minister strongly condemned the aggressive act of the United States and considered it a gross violation of international law. "The British foreign secretary, expressing regret over this act, rejected any role or cooperation of his country and called for the continuation of diplomacy." A readout from the UK side has not yet been released. Today, 15:30 By Annabel Bate Iran's Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant after US strikes Today, 15:27 By Annabel Bate Underground damage at Iran's Fordow site is 'unclear' While it's clear that US airstrikes overnight hit Iran's enrichment site at Fordow, it is not yet possible to assess the damage done underground there, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told CNN on Sunday. Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency that Grossi leads have not been able to inspect Iran's nuclear facilities since the first strikes on them by Israel on June 13, and Grossi said he hoped they would be able to return to Fordow and other sites as soon as possible. Today, 15:21 By Jack Newman US warns Iran not to retaliate US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has cautioned Iran against seeking retribution for the devastating blitz. He warned retaliation would be "the worst mistake they've ever made". It echoes comments by Donald Trump and his Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth who threatened to strike Iran again if they tried to fight back. Today, 15:18 By Jack Newman Iran votes to close Strait of Hormuz In a dramatic escalation, Iran has retaliated to the US bombardment by voting to close the Strait of Hormuz. The passage is one of the most important shipping lanes in the world, with 20 per cent of global oil and gas transported through the waters. Its closure could send oil and gas prices skyrocketing internationally and wreak havoc for trade and international shipping. The final decision to close the Strait will be taken by the Supreme National Security Council. Today, 14:13 By Annabel Bate Close-up view of craters after US strikes on Iran's Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant Today, 14:08 By Annabel Bate Middle East conflict is 'highly volatile' says Canadian PM Canada's prime minister Mark Carney has warned that the conflict in the Middle East is 'highly volatile'. He said on X: "Iran's nuclear programme is a grave threat to international security, and Canada has been consistently clear that Iran can never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. "While U.S. military action taken last night was designed to alleviate that threat, the situation in the Middle East remains highly volatile. "Stability in the region is a priority. Canada calls on parties to return immediately to the negotiating table and reach a diplomatic solution to end this crisis. "As G7 leaders agreed in Kananaskis, the resolution of the Iranian crisis should lead to a broader de-escalation of hostilities in the Middle East, including a ceasefire in Gaza." Today, 14:05 By Annabel Bate Iran says nuclear know-how 'cannot be destroyed' Iran said its knowledge in the nuclear field "cannot be destroyed" after the United States carried out a series of strikes Sunday on atomic facilities in the Islamic republic. "They should know that this industry has roots in our country and the roots of this national industry cannot be destroyed," said Atomic Energy Organization of Iran spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi, according to Tasnim news agency. "Of course, we have suffered damage, but this is not the first time that the industry has suffered damage." Today, 13:49 By Annabel Bate US sending 'public and private messages to Iran' US defence secretary Pete Hegseth revealed that there were "both public and private messages being directly delivered to the Iranians". He added that they were being delivered "in multiple channels". Hegseth added: "Iran understands precisely what the American position is, precisely what steps they can take to allow for peace." Today, 13:47 By Nick Parker Operation named 'Midnight Hammer' Chairman of the US join chiefs of staff Dan Caine revealed the operation was named Midnight Hammer. Caine said that at midnight on Friday, a gargantuan B-2 strike package of bombers launched from the US but - to stay under the radar - some flew west into the Pacific. This was dubbed as a "deception effort". Caine explained: "It was planned and executed across multiple domains and theatres with coordination that reflects our ability to project power globally with speed and precision at the time and place of our nation's choosing." Today, 13:39 By Nick Parker Watch: The Sun's Foreign Editor reports from Israel The Sun reports from inside as Israel as tensions flare following US air strikes Today, 13:15 By Annabel Bate Hegseth boasts strikes on nuke facilities were 'incredible and overwhelming success' US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Sunday that US military strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities were "an incredible and overwhelming success" which took months and weeks of positioning to carry out. Hegseth said the strikes did not target Iranian troops or people, but they did obliterate Iran's nuclear ambitions. "The operation President Trump planned was bold and it was brilliant, showing the world that American deterrence is back. "When this President speaks, the world should listen," Hegseth said. By Martina Bet Comment: Starmer is 'trying to have it both ways' Sir Keir Starmer says he's focused on 'de-escalation' but it's clear the UK wasn't in the driving seat when America launched its dramatic overnight strikes on Iran. He insists the Government was 'given due notice' but that's just diplomatic code for we were told, not asked. Britain played no part in the military action, didn't offer its bases, and wasn't in the room when the trigger was pulled. For a country that calls the US its closest ally, it's a humbling moment. While the PM has backed the goal - stopping Iran from building a bomb - he's skating carefully around the method. He won't say if the strikes were legal. He won't say what it would take for Britain to get involved. He's trying to have it both ways: supporting Washington while staying out of the firing line. So far, it's a delicate balancing act, but one that gets harder by the hour. If Iran strikes back, especially at US or Israeli targets, pressure on Britain to act will skyrocket. Meanwhile, the opposition is flexing its muscles. Priti Patel says the strikes were 'absolutely essential' and questions whether the UK even offered help. She's urging the government to move faster, act tougher, and stop hiding behind process. And she's not wrong to ask: if Britain has the capability to help stop a nuclear Iran, why didn't we step up? The PM of course, wants to sound strong, act calm, and avoid war. But when your closest ally goes in hard, and you're stuck on the sidelines, questions start piling up. Today, 12:42 By Annabel Bate Revolutionary Guard warns of using options 'beyond understanding' The Revolutionary Guard said it would 'use options beyond the understanding' of the US and Israel that 'must expect regrettable responses'. It described retaliation as 'its legitimate right to self-defence'. 'The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is well aware of the terrain of this combined and full-scale imposed war and will never be intimidated by the clamor of Trump and the criminal gang ruling the White House and Tel Aviv,' a Revolutionary Guard statement said. Today, 12:34 By Annabel Bate Air defences activated in parts of Iran - state media Air defences have been activated in parts of eastern Tehran, Iranian state media reports. It reportedly happened in the eastern Tehran province and the Yazd province. Today, 12:19 By Annabel Bate Trump pictured with national security team in Situation Room of the White House on Saturday
