Various popular snacks found in the United States are at risk of being banned in multiple states. There have been reports that there are chemicals in these snacks that are linked to causing cancer.

At least five states including California, Missouri, Illinois, New York and Washington will or have already passed laws about what is allowed to be present in these snacks. The popular snacks that are under fire are Lucky Charms, Froot Loops, Nerds, Swedish Fish, M&M’s, Skittles, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, and Doritos.

These snacks have copious amounts of artificial coloring and chemicals which, when eaten in abundance, are dangerous for health. Doritos, a very popular chips brand, has chemicals like maltodextrin and acrylamide. It is safe to eat maltodextrin, if not in large amounts, but acrylamide is considered a possible carcinogenic compound according to the International Cancer Research Center.

The ingredients list for these snacks in the United States is vastly different from the ones in overseas areas, including Europe. In the US, Skittles contain a mineral called titanium dioxide, which gives the Skittles their colors. Titanium dioxide was banned by the European Union (EU) because they deemed that it was no longer “healthy” for humans to consume.

A few students were asked about how they felt about this situation and whether this information would change what they eat. One said, “I think that all of these chemicals are gross, but I love the food and I will continue to keep eating them.”

Another said, “I don’t think that these should be banned. Nowadays, everything causes cancer, so I don’t care.”