M&M’s is dealing with a case of the blues — or, more accurately, lack thereof. The company will be temporarily removing two of its colors — blue and brown — as part of its transition from artificial to natural food dyes.

Natural Dyes Prove Challenging

The move comes after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. set his sights on the food dyes in popular snacks as part of his “Make America Healthy Again” (nicknamed “MAHA”) movement. M&M’s parent company Mars promised to offer options for some of its treats without artificial dyes, planning instead to color the foods with dyes derived from natural sources.

The FDA didn’t technically ban artificial dyes, but it has an “understanding” with food companies, according to Kennedy. Some research suggests “certain children may be sensitive to them,” according to the FDA, so it’s continuing to monitor emerging research on the subject.

Mars will introduce four options made without Food, Drug & Cosmetic (FD&C) colors and make them available nationwide online. The company is having significant trouble re-creating the vibrant “cerulean” blue, introduced in 1995, that would make Miranda Priestly recoil. And its brown shade is made with a significant amount of blue dye, as well.

Original reporting: NBC10 Boston — read the source article.