M&M's Just Made The Biggest Change In Its 85-Year History.

Mars is launching dye-free versions of M&M's this August, making it the first time in the candy's 85-year history that the iconic chocolate pieces will be made without synthetic petroleum-based food dyes, part of a sweeping shift across the American food industry as the FDA moves to phase out artificial colorings from the US food supply by the end of the year. The naturally colored M&M's will initially be available exclusively on Amazon alongside new dye-free versions of Starburst, Skittles, and Extra Gum, while the original artificially colored varieties remain on store shelves for consumers who prefer them. Mars researchers were able to replicate red using beet extract, yellow using turmeric, and orange and green using other plant-based pigments, bringing four of the six classic colors into the natural lineup without significant compromise. The remaining two, blue and brown, are temporarily stepping aside. Blue, introduced in 1995, relies on a synthetic dye called Blue 1 that has proven extraordinarily difficult to replicate naturally at industrial scale. The best available replacement, spirulina extract from blue-green algae, is not only expensive but creates manufacturing complications that Mars cannot currently resolve affordably. Because brown is partly made using blue to achieve its depth, it is pulled from the natural lineup too.

Anton Vincent, president of Mars Snacking North America, described the transition as one of the most daunting projects the company has undertaken, saying you are messing with an 85-year-old icon, while Mars executive Claire Hewitt called it the hardest thing she had done in her career. The company explored replacing blue and brown with purple and pink, or shifting to a three-color mix, before deciding to simply pause those two colors while it continues working on a scalable natural solution. Mars has committed to offering all six classic colors in the dye-free line by 2028. The broader food industry has been moving in the same direction: Kraft Heinz, General Mills, PepsiCo, Nestle, Tyson, Hershey, and more than 20 other companies have announced or completed their own transitions away from synthetic dyes in recent months, a shift driven by a combination of new regulatory pressure, state-level legislation, and a genuine change in what consumers want to see on ingredient labels. A recent survey found 58 percent of shoppers now read ingredient labels before putting something in their cart, and 58 percent support government efforts to remove synthetic dyes from food. The naturally colored M&M's arrive at a moment when the definition of familiar is quietly changing, one ingredient at a time.

Source:https://patch.com/us/across-america/it-s-not-easy-being-blue-m-m-s-candy-gets-maha-makeover