CHICAGO, June 20, 2026, 08:08 (CDT)
- Mars said it will start selling M&M’s with no certified synthetic colors in August. The first version won’t have blue or brown pieces.
- Washington’s drive on food dyes is hitting factory floors as the rollout puts the pressure on one of the top U.S. candy brands.
- M&M’s fans can still buy the classic candies as Mars rolls out a four-color set online, beginning with Amazon.
Mars is set to launch an M&M’s line without artificial dyes in August. The new packs will only include red, orange, yellow, and green shells. Blue and brown varieties didn’t make the cut after Mars ran into trouble matching those hues with natural dyes.
This launch is a big deal for M&M’s. Color is central to what the candy is, not just a minor detail. Mars is trying to cut back on synthetic additives but still keep M&M’s looking familiar, as regulators and shoppers keep asking for simpler ingredients.
The move signals that the food-dye debate in the U.S. is now hitting production. The Food and Drug Administration’s tracker says Mars is “in progress” on plans to sell Extra, M&M’s, Skittles and Starburst without certified colors starting in 2026. FD&C colors are synthetic additives for food, drugs and cosmetics. U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Mars Wrigley said in a statement in July 2025 that it plans to roll out four products without FD&C colors in 2026, with U.S. nationwide online sales. The company said all its products meet FDA standards, and staff are looking at safety, technical needs and what consumers want.
Blue has proven tough to replace. Mars has tried using spirulina, which comes from algae, instead of Blue 1. But reports say spirulina is expensive, can clog up spray nozzles, and has required new equipment. “It was a daunting situation,” Anton Vincent, head of Mars Wrigley North America snacks, told the Wall Street Journal. “You’re messing with an 85-year-old icon.” Fox Business
The issue extends to brown, since replicating the color without the regular blue is tougher. Mars has invested millions and assigned over 100 staff to this effort, aiming to bring back all six original hues using natural-source dyes by 2028, the Journal said.
Mars isn’t dropping the classic M&M’s yet. The new version will just be another option, not a total swap. That move cuts back on risk and lets Mars see directly if customers will go for bags missing the two usual colors.
Regulators are pushing ahead on synthetic food dyes. HHS and the FDA rolled out new plans in April 2025 to phase out petroleum-based dyes like Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 40, Yellow 5 and Yellow 6. The agencies said they plan to help industry move to natural substitutes nationwide.
The science and politics here are still up in the air. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has tied synthetic dyes to issues like ADHD and cancer, according to Reuters. But many scientists say they need more evidence.
Mars isn’t the only one making changes. The FDA tracker also shows Hershey, PepsiCo and WK Kellogg are switching up products or have pledged to drop certified color additives. The move extends past just candy and into packaged foods.
Mars is wrestling with execution risk. Sourcing natural colors isn’t easy—blue can be especially tough, with supply and manufacturing issues, and it tends to cost more at scale. If Mars can’t find a cheap, safe fix for blue, it’s stuck with either a less complete dye-free lineup, higher costs, or rolling out the change more slowly.
So the launch is more of a test than a full refresh. Mars isn’t waiting on a verdict from Washington first. The real test comes when shoppers pick up a four-color bag of M&M’s and decide for themselves if it’s still the same candy without what’s missing.
