
Texas Favorite Snack Food Coloring Turns Mice Clear
Texas has at least one thing in common with California: we share the same favorite snack. Cheetos rule the Southwest U.S. and are a go-to when it's time to munch out.
According to a 2024 survey by HubScore, we share this favorite with 8 other states. Here is a rundown of our top 5 favorite snacks in Texas.
Texas Favorite Snacks Ranking:
- Cheetos
- Fritos
- Doritos
- Cheerios
- Starburst
The Choice Is Clear For Texas
A popular food dye in Cheetos is under scrutiny as researchers have found that it can turn the skin of laboratory mice clear. Before you start eating handfuls of the crunchy favorite to turn into the invisible man, it leaves their organs visible underneath.
The thing that makes Cheetos yellow is called Tartrazine. It was recently tested on the heads and stomachs of mice.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the dye changes the properties of the skin, allowing light to pass through. Why is this happening?
Dosage Determines The Clarity
It happens because of the way cells and their membranes hold fats. The fats and the water manage light in different ways. When they apply the dye, it causes the light to pass through when it hits the cells.
Better known as Food Dye & Coloring Yellow Number 5, the FDA-approved substance is found in very small doses in your average snacks and drinks. The amount they used to turn the mice clear in this study was much more than you will ever be exposed to.
Keep Reading: Enormous Biting Flies Set Sights On Texas
Your skin won't be translucent just by binging on a bag of Cheetos while reading this story.
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Gallery Credit: Stacker
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