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Consumer Trends · Food Regulation · Natural Dyes · Product Reformulation
Mars is investing millions of dollars and dedicating 100 employees to launch naturally dyed M&M's, debuting in August on Amazon, in response to the Trump administration's "Make America Healthy Again" movement and regulatory pressure.
Anton Vincent, president of Mars' North American snacking division, stated the challenge of altering an 85-year-old iconic product. The new M&M's will maintain their taste but initially exclude brown and blue colors, as Mars could not naturally replicate them; attempts with spirulina algae, for example, gummed up factory machinery.
Mars aims to offer all six traditional colors by 2028. This initiative follows significant pressure from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy and Republican state allies, including a 2025 investigation by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton into Mars for alleged deceptive trade practices over its use of artificial dyes.
Paxton cited Mars' 2016 pledge to remove artificial colors and its claims of no health risks, which he argued were false. PepsiCo also launched a "Simply NKD" line of Doritos and Cheetos without artificial dyes and flavors, indicating a broader industry trend.
The MAHA movement itself faces criticism for its emphasis on animal proteins, and President Trump's personal dietary habits often contradict his administration's health advice.
