M&M’s, a popular chocolate candy in the U.S., is dealing with a change in its iconic colors. The company is temporarily removing two of its colors — blue and brown — as part of its transition from artificial to natural food dyes.

Natural Dye Challenges

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’ 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.

However, Mars is having significant trouble re-creating the vibrant ‘cerulean’ blue, introduced in 1995, using natural dyes. The company uses Blue No. 1 for the two temporarily-benched candy colors and chose spirulina, a blue-hued, high-protein superfood, as its natural replacement. But the company said it’s having problems with the texture, thickness, and consistency of the ingredient.

The FDA has an ‘understanding’ with food companies regarding artificial dyes, but it’s unclear how enforcement works. Some research suggests ‘certain children may be sensitive’ to artificial dyes, according to the FDA, so it’s continuing to monitor emerging research on the subject.

Future Plans

This year, Mars will introduce four options made without Food, Drug & Cosmetic (FD&C) colors and make them available nationwide online. The company aims to offer its naturally colored M&M’s in all six colors by 2028, but wouldn’t say whether it’s getting rid of artificially dyed M&M’s once it does.

Original reporting: NBC6 Miami — read the source article.