Tasting the Rainbow: Review on colorants, flavorings and additives used in skittles

Skittles is a brand of fruit-flavored candy, currently produced and marketed by the Wrigley Company. With its vibrant colors, it is especially popular among children and teenagers. Skittles are small round chewy candies that come in many different colors in a bag. Skittles were originally called "Glees" and introduced and commercialized in Britain during the late 1960s. Candy's manufacture and distribution were limited to the United Kingdom till the mid-1970s. Americans were able to "taste the rainbow" for the first time in 1979. Skittles have a brief, colorless life before becoming the iconic version that everyone is familiar with. Coloring the candy can take anything from 4-6 hours. Each flavor from each Skittle comes from a secret flavoring process that occurs before they're lacquered. Skittles contain no animal-based products, according to a 2020 study. Ingredients such as Tapioca dextrin and modified corn starch are added to the candy to help preserve flavor and color. Skittles is the top-selling item, with $329.9 million in sales, although that is slightly down compared to its preceding years. The brand is also partnering with GLAAD, the world's leading LGBTQ+ media advocacy group. Skittles will be the first Mars Wrigley brand to use compostable packaging in the United States.