M&M’s without artificial dyes are coming, but two iconic colors will be left out for now

News M&M’s without artificial dyes are coming, but two iconic colors will be left out for now Comments: by Rob Taub and Addy Bink - 06/29/26 11:09 AM ET Comments: Link copied by Rob Taub and Addy Bink - 06/29/26 11:09 AM ET Comments: Link copied

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Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to clarify when blue and brown M&M’s will be available without artificial dyes. We regret the error.

(NewsNation) — M&M’s is embracing the “Make America Healthy Again” movement with a new product set to launch this summer.

The iconic brand will introduce a version of its candies made without artificial dyes beginning in August, as it marks its 85th anniversary.

However, the change comes with a tradeoff: M&M’s plans to eliminate its blue and brown candies from the lineup, at least for now.

Mars told The Wall Street Journal the colors could not be recreated with natural ingredients at a reasonable cost. A spokesperson told Nexstar that blue and brown M&M’s are expected to be available in the artificial dye-free option by 2028.

“It was a daunting situation,” said Anton Vincent, president of Mars Snacking, North America and Global Ice Cream. “You’re messing with an 85-year-old icon.”

Researchers were able to replicate other colors using natural ingredients, but blue — introduced in 1995 — proved more difficult, in part due to reliance on spirulina, an algae-based pigment. The ingredient requires significantly more material to achieve the same color intensity and also contributes to challenges in producing brown candies.

“It’s the hardest thing I’ve had to do in my career,” Mars executive Claire Hewitt said.

Mars explored replacing blue and brown with purple and pink or shifting to a three-color mix, but ultimately decided against those options. Red, yellow, orange, and green are expected to appear in packages of M&M’s now,

The company had pledged in 2016 to remove artificial dyes from its products, but later reversed course after determining customers were not concerned. More recently, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has urged U.S. food companies to eliminate artificial dyes.

The M&M’s you know and love will remain available. The naturally-colored M&M’s will be available via Amazon, the company told The Wall Street Journal, with plans to offer all six traditional colors, though with natural coloring, by 2028.

Other iconic Mars brands are expected to see naturally-colored varieties become available. Last summer, the company said that varieties of Skittles Original, Extra Gum Spearmint, and Starburst Original fruit chews made without synthetic dyes would be available for purchase online.

Mars didn’t have a timeline when contacted by Nexstar in August 2025, with a spokesperson saying, “When we have identified fully effective, scalable solutions across the entire portfolio, we will share additional item commitments and timelines.”

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