M&M's Goes Dye-Free
M&M's Brand to Introduce Candies Free of Artificial Dyes This August via Amazon
M&M's will launch candies without artificial dyes in August 2026, making Mars Wrigley one of the first major candy companies to act on the Trump administration's push to clean up the American food supply. The new product will be sold exclusively on Amazon, according to Alaska's News Source.
The launch will not include blue or brown M&M's. WDTV reported that those two colors are being left out of the new line. Mars is one of 27 companies that have pledged to remove at least some artificial dyes from their products as part of the Make America Healthy Again initiative.
Why Blue and Brown M&M's Are Getting Left Behind
Replacing blue is the hardest part of the dye-free switch. The natural alternative — spirulina extract — costs over $100 per pound, compared to roughly $10 per pound for synthetic Blue No. 1, according to Fox Business. The thick, sticky extract also clogs factory spray nozzles and builds up inside production equipment, creating major manufacturing headaches.
Mars President Anton Vincent called the reformulation effort a "daunting situation." The company plans to bring all six colors back using only natural sources by 2028, according to Fox Business. For now, shoppers will get a shorter rainbow — red, orange, yellow, and green only.
Mars Failed at This Once Before in 2021
This is not Mars' first attempt to ditch artificial dyes. In 2016, the company promised to make the switch within five years. But in 2021, it reversed course, saying consumers did not seem to care about synthetic dyes and preferred the brighter look they produce, according to Fox Business.
The political climate is different now. The FDA, under Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary, is targeting six petroleum-based dyes including Red 40, Yellow 5, and Blue 1. Makary said, "Parents and doctors have concerns about petroleum-based food dyes... it's common sense to work together to remove these chemicals." The FDA wants these dyes out of the U.S. food supply by the end of 2027.
RFK Jr.'s MAHA Push Is Driving the Industry Shift
The Make America Healthy Again initiative was launched after President Trump signed an executive order in February 2025. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has led the charge, publicly pressuring food companies to match stricter European ingredient standards. Kennedy said the goal is "empowering Americans to take back their health," according to Hawaii News Now.
Twenty-seven major companies have now pledged to remove at least some artificial dyes. Kennedy confirmed Mars' August rollout during a public tour in Michigan in June 2026, according to KY3. HHS has pointed to a statistic that 40% of Americans are diabetic or prediabetic as a key reason for the push.
Amazon Launch Lets Mars Test the Market Safely
Selling only through Amazon is a deliberate choice. Industry analysts say it lets Mars test whether consumers will accept a shorter color lineup — and a potentially duller look — without the risk of a full nationwide store rollout. The August launch also coincides with M&M's 85th anniversary, according to Fox Business.
Not everyone is fully on board. Dr. Marc Siegel, a Fox News medical analyst, supported removing dyes but warned that sugar remains "a primary health concern regardless of the dye source." Critics in outlets like PBS NewsHour have also argued that the MAHA strategy focuses too heavily on dyes while underplaying the health risks of sugar and calories in candy.
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