Skittles are a popular candy manufactured by Mars, Inc. Originally from the UK, the brand was brought here in the late seventies, and has nevcr looked back. The “taste the rainbow” theme has been used extensively in the brand’s marketing campaign. So what’s inside the rainbow?

What you need to know:

Here is Skittle’s ingredient list (which, by the way, does NOT appear on the Skittles website):

Sugar, Corn Syrup, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil, Apple Juice from Concentrate, Less than 2% Citric Acid, Dextrin, Modified Corn Starch, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Coloring (Includes Yellow 6 Lake, Red 40 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake, Blue 2 Lake, Yellow 5, Red 40, Yellow 6, Blue 1 Lake, Blue 1), Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C).

Not surprising, the first two ingredients are sugar and corn syrup (a type of sweetener).

The hydrogenated palm kernel oil is a glue to hold all that sugar together, as does the modified corn starch.

Dextrin (E1400) is a white or yellow powder produced from starch. It is used coatings and glazes, and may cause an allergic reaction.

The natural and artificial flavors are trade secrets, and NO YOU CAN’T find out what they are. But these are what give each of the skittles its lime, grape, berry, etc… flavors.

Our “favorite” part of the ingredient list is the rainbow of artificial food colorings, including no less than 9 colorants. Other countries are phasing out these colors, but America just loves children with blue and green tongues, so the FDA maintains the GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status of these chemicals. For example, Red 40 is suspected of causing hyperactivity in children.

Don’t expect any nutritional value in Skittles. A single serving 2 oz pack contains 250 calories and a whopping 47 grams of sugar (that’s 12 teaspoons of sugar in a personal bag). Surprisingly, vitamin C content is 50% of the daily value, but that’s because Ascorbic acid has been added to the product. The palm kernel oil contributes 2.5 grams of saturated fat to the mix (that’s 13% of the daily value, from a candy!)

What to do at the supermarket:

There are better choices for sweet snacks. Fruits and dried fruit are at the top of the list. But even if you want something concocted in a factory, you don’t need to opt for the worst. Look for options without artificial colorings.

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Some friends were chewing Trident bubble gum recently at a long drawn meeting and they offered a piece to everyone so we could stay alert.The package as well as the gum itself are glowing pink. Knowing about Fooducate’s food label fetish, we got to take the empty pack home and analyze the ingredient list.

What you need to know:

There are no nutrients to speak of in this gum, and most others as well. Just 3.5 calories, no fat, no sugar, no vitamins and no minerals. But that’s also because we are talking about a really tiny serving size. Even kids’ bubble gums sweetened with sugar  have less than 30 calories.

Here is the ingredient list:

Sorbitol, Gum Base, Xylitol, Glycerin, Manitol, Artificial and Natural Flavoring, Soy Lecithin, Acesulfame Potassium, Aspartame, Sucralose, Red 40 Lake, BHT (To maintain freshness)

Gum base is a synthetic rubber, whose exact makeup is a trade secret. A gum base is usually composed of  an elastomer (synthetic rubbers), resin (more chemicals), wax such as paraffin, fats, emulsifier (keeps everything mixed together) such as lecithin, filler (provides texture) such as talc. Yummy.

Sorbitol, Xylitol, and Manitol are sugar alcohols. These are 60% as sweet as sugar and have 2.6 calories per gram compared to 4 for sugar. Not that it’s a big deal when we’re talking about a stick of gum. Sugar alcohols are not fully digested and may cause a laxative effect in some people. On the plus side, Xylitol is considered effective in prevention of dental carries, a fact embellished heavily by Trident and other manufacturers. On the package of this product there are no less than 3 acknowledgments: “cleans and protects teeth” – on the front of package and on the back, as well as on each individual gum wrapper.

Glycerin (Glycerol, E422) is a humectant (keeps things moist), solvent, sweetener and preservative. It used in foods and beverages as well as gum.

Artificial and Natural Flavoring are a trade secret so NO YOU CAN’T know what they are.

Soy Lecithin (E322) is an emulsifier, which means it helps keep all the goop mixed together and of uniform consistence.

Acesulfame Potassium (Acesulfame K, E950) is an artificial sweetener 200 times sweeter than sugar. It is often used in conjunction with aspartame (Nutrasweet) another artificial sweetener found in diet soft drinks. Both of these sweeteners are approved by the FDA despite several studies that have linked them to cancer.

Sucralose (E955) is an artificial sweetener 600 times sweeter than sugar. It is a synthetic chemical made by chemically reacting sugar (sucrose) with chlorine. It is considered safe.

Red 40 (Allura Red, E129) is the most widely used artificial food dye. It has been linked to hyperactivity in children. The UK Food Standards Authority has asked manufacturers to voluntarily phase it and other artificial colors out of foods.

BHT (E321) - a preservative that has been linked to cancer.

Summary – this is an odd cocktail of various chemicals and sweeteners that we’re supposed to be masticating on for hours on end in our mouths.

What to do at the supermarket:

Despite all of the above chemicals, we’re talking about tiny amounts of all these ingredients in each stick of gum, so don’t lose too much sleep over the nutrition issues.

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