Legendary US Confectionery M&M's to Launch Version Without Artificial Colours

Mars, the producer of the legendary confectionery, is poised to make history in its 85-year journey. This August, M&M’s will launch a new version made entirely without artificial colours. However, there is a notable difference from its iconic appearance: the colours blue and brown will be absent from the packaging. The move comes as Mars faces pressure from the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) campaign, championed by US Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The campaign urges major food companies to eliminate synthetic dyes, which are considered detrimental to health, especially for children. Replacing artificial dyes with natural ingredients proved far more difficult and expensive than anticipated. Mars researchers successfully replicated red, orange, and yellow using ingredients such as beetroot and turmeric. However, blue presented the greatest challenge. Mars opted for spirulina—a seaweed often touted as a superfood—as a substitute for synthetic blue dye (Blue 1). Unfortunately, using spirulina created serious technical problems in the factory. Because the brown colour of M&M’s also requires a blue component in its production process, Mars was forced to temporarily omit both blue and brown from this natural product line. Anton Vincent, head of Mars’ North American snacks business, stated that the company chose to launch despite the incomplete six-colour palette. ‘It’s a scary situation. You’re tinkering with an 85-year-old icon,’ he said. While blue and brown are missing, Mars successfully retained the green colour, which also uses spirulina but in a lower dosage. In taste tests, consumers reportedly could not distinguish between the natural version and the original. Initially, the artificial dye-free M&M’s will be available exclusively through Amazon. Mars aims to have all six rainbow colours available in the natural version by 2028. Until then, the original version with artificial dyes will continue to be sold alongside it. This move by Mars sends a strong signal to the global food industry that demands for healthier products are reshaping the business and scientific realities behind iconic global brands.