M&M’s could soon look a little different as Mars works to create a naturally colored version of the iconic candy amid growing pressure to remove synthetic food dyes.
The candy maker is preparing to launch a new line of naturally colored M&M’s in August, but the first version will be missing two of the brand’s most recognizable colors: blue and brown.
The move comes as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again movement continues pushing food manufacturers to phase out artificial colorings.
While traditional M&M’s will remain on store shelves, Mars is investing millions into developing an alternative made with natural ingredients.
Mars struggles to replace blue M&M color
According to a Wall Street Journal report, the biggest challenge has been recreating the candy’s blue shell without using artificial dyes.
Mars selected spirulina, an algae-based ingredient often used as a natural coloring, as its preferred replacement for Blue 1. However, the ingredient has created unexpected manufacturing problems.
The company reportedly needs around seven times more pigment to achieve the same blue shade found on current M&M’s. The resulting mixture becomes thick and foamy, leaving behind residue that can build up inside factory equipment.
That buildup can clog pipes and eventually create conditions where mold may form, creating food safety concerns.
“It’s the hardest thing I’ve had to do in my career,” Claire Hewitt, the Mars executive leading the project, told the Wall Street Journal.
The blue coloring challenge has also affected brown M&M’s, which rely heavily on blue coloring to achieve their appearance. As a result, both colors have been excluded from the first naturally colored release.
Mars reportedly tested additional options, including purple and pink candies, and even considered launching a three-color assortment before ultimately settling on a four-color lineup.
More than 100 employees have worked on the initiative across multiple Mars facilities as the company searches for a long-term solution.
To fully adapt production lines for spirulina, Mars would need to upgrade more than 300 machines with new mixing tanks, paddles, and motors. The company would also need to implement more intensive cleaning processes involving hotter water, greater force, and longer cleaning cycles.
Mars first pledged to remove artificial colors from its food products in 2016, but later abandoned plans to eliminate them from its candy lineup, saying consumer demand at the time did not justify the change.
Now, the company is moving forward with a naturally colored alternative while keeping its existing products available. The new M&M’s will initially launch exclusively through Amazon.
The M&M’s changes come as more food brands move away from artificial dyes.
Last November, Doritos and Cheetos launched new NKD versions made without artificial colors, resulting in snacks that no longer leave the brand’s signature orange residue on consumers’ fingers, highlighting a broader shift across the food industry as manufacturers explore natural alternatives.
