TOPEKA, Kan. — Mars is investing millions of dollars to develop naturally colored M&M’s, but two of the candy’s signature colors, blue and brown, will be absent from the initial launch.
The company plans to introduce naturally colored M&M’s in August as part of its efforts to reduce synthetic dye use. Mars has successfully recreated red, orange, yellow, and green candies using natural ingredients, but blue and brown have proven more difficult to replicate at scale.
Mars selected spirulina, a blue-green algae, as a replacement for Blue 1 dye. However, the ingredient requires significantly more colorant than synthetic alternatives and has created manufacturing challenges, including clogged equipment and increased cleaning needs.
The reformulation effort involves about 100 employees and upgrades to more than 300 machines across Mars manufacturing facilities.
“It was a daunting situation,” said Anton Vincent, who leads Mars’ North American snacks business. “You’re messing with an 85-year-old icon.”
The naturally colored M&M’s will initially be sold on Amazon, while traditional versions remain available. Mars said it aims to offer naturally colored versions in all six traditional colors by 2028.
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