MAHA Movement Forces M&M’s to Drop Two Classic Colors

FREDERICK FLORIN / AFP via Getty ImagesMM’s will debut a new version of its signature candy made without artificial dyes this summer, but two colors are being scrapped. The naturally colored MM’s, set to launch in August, will feature red, orange, yellow and green candies. However, blue and brown will be missing from the lineup after proving too difficult to recreate using ingredients derived from natural sources. The change comes after a push to offer alternatives free of artificial dyes amid growing consumer demand and pressure from the “Make America Healthy Again” movement led by Health Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Mars, the company behind MM’s, has spent millions of dollars and enlisted more than 100 employees to help revamp the iconic candy. The biggest hurdle has been replacing Blue 1, the artificial dye used to create MM’s bright blue shell. Mars selected spirulina, an algae-based ingredient often marketed as a superfood, as the best natural substitute. However, the ingredient requires far more pigment to achieve a similar color and can clog factory equipment, forcing the company to upgrade hundreds of machines. Traditional MM’s are not going away, and the naturally colored version will initially be sold exclusively through Amazon. Mars says it hopes to eventually recreate all six classic MM’s colors using natural ingredients by 2028.Read more at The Daily Beast.