M&M's Is Dropping Blue and Brown From Its Natural Color Lineup

For nearly 85 years, M&M's have managed to answer one very important question:

"What if chocolate wore tiny colorful jackets?"

Now, two of those jackets are heading into temporary retirement. Mars has announced that blue and brown M&M's won't appear in the company's new naturally colored candy lineup, launching later this year. 

Before we start organizing a candlelight vigil for Blue, though, there's good news: the colors aren't disappearing forever. They're just proving harder to recreate without artificial dyes.

Why Blue and Brown Drew the Short Straw

The change is part of Mars' broader effort to introduce M&M's natural colors made without synthetic FD&C dyes.

Red, orange, yellow, and green have already made the transition, using naturally derived ingredients. Blue, however, has turned into the class project nobody wanted.

Mars has been experimenting with spirulina, a blue-green algae often used as a natural food coloring. While it works, it also creates manufacturing headaches, requiring more pigment than traditional Blue No. 1 and leaving behind residue that gums up production equipment.

Brown faces an additional challenge because creating that familiar chocolate-colored shell also depends on blue pigments, which means both colors are sitting this round out together.

Don't Panic. They're Not Gone Forever.

If M&M's blue and brown happen to be your favorites, you can put down the emergency chocolate stash. The change only affects a new naturally colored version of the candy that will debut later this year through Amazon. 

Traditional M&M's made with existing color blends will continue to be sold while Mars works on more natural alternatives. The company's long-term goal is to recreate all of the classic colors using natural ingredients by 2028.

Why M&M's Is Changing Now

The move comes as food companies like Mars rethink their M&M's artificial dyes and other synthetic colorings.

Consumer demand, changing regulations, and pressure to offer products made with Mars natural food dyes have encouraged manufacturers to reformulate many well-known snacks. 

Mars has also announced similar dye-free options for brands including Skittles, Starburst, and Extra gum.

The transition hasn't been simple, though. According to reports, more than 100 employees have worked on the project, and Mars expects to spend millions upgrading manufacturing equipment to make the new colors work at scale.

A Temporary Plot Twist for a Candy Classic

Candy isn't something most of us expect to come with behind-the-scenes engineering drama. Yet, that's exactly what's happening as M&M's new colors make their debut. For now, red, orange, yellow, and green will be carrying the team. 

Blue and brown are expected to make their comeback once Mars figures out how to give them the same familiar look using natural ingredients.

Even something as beautiful as chocolate needs a little makeover from time to time.

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