July 16 (Reuters) - Texas' attorney general said on

Wednesday he has begun investigating Mars, which makes M&M's and

Skittles candies, for its alleged refusal to remove synthetic

food dyes from its products.

Ken Paxton, the attorney general, said in a statement that

he issued a civil investigative demand for documents from Mars,

as he examines whether the family-owned company violated

consumers' rights through deceptive trade practices.

Paxton said Mars has not fulfilled its 2016 pledge to remove

all artificial colors from food products, saying it had removed

"toxic" dyes in Europe but not the United States.

"It's time for Mars to follow the lead of other companies

like Nestle and Hershey by removing synthetic dyes from its

products," Paxton said. "It's the right thing to do."

Mars, based in McLean, Virginia, had no immediate comment.

Removing synthetic food dyes and reducing Americans'

consumption of ultraprocessed foods has been a priority for U.S.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, as

part of his "Make America Healthy Again" campaign.

Kennedy has blamed the dyes for health problems including

attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and cancer, though many

scientists say more research is needed.

General Mills ( GIS ), J.M. Smucker, Kraft Heinz ( KHC )

and PepsiCo ( PEP ), as well as Hershey and

Nestle, are among companies that have committed to

removing the dyes by 2028 or earlier.

Mars has said its consumers have different attitudes toward

artificial colors in food depending on where they live, with

European consumers preferring the dyes removed while other

consumers prefer to keep them.