Contaminated Candy Blamed For Hospitalizing Two

State health officials hope no one else recently “tasted the rainbow” from a Richmond store.

The Indiana Department of Health said preliminary tests revealed that packages of Original Skittles sold from a Marathon Food Mart in Richmond, Ind., contained unconfirmed chemical substances.

The contamination was discovered following the sudden illness of two individuals who ate from a package of Original Skittles on March 4th. The individuals visited a hospital and were treated for burning throats, cramping and diarrhea before being released.

State and local health officials are working with Indiana State Police, the Food and Drug Administration and others to investigate the situation. Samples of the Skittles have been sent to the State Laboratory for testing.

Health officials are advising individuals who have purchased Skittles with the following lot numbers listed below to not consume the product. Unopened packages, or open packages with product still in the bag, should be placed in an envelope and held in a safe place until recovered by the Indiana State Police.

Skittles lot numbers:

  • 08JUL14 023
  • 01DEC14 023

If you have purchased the product with the above lot numbers, contact the ISP Pendleton Post at 800-527-4752. The food mart and candy distributor have removed the Skittles with the lot numbers in question.