01What happened

The story, straight

Mars is preparing to launch a naturally colored line of M&Ms in August, but the first version will be missing two of the candy's most iconic colors: blue and brown. The move follows mounting pressure from Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again movement to phase out synthetic food dyes. According to a Wall Street Journal report, the biggest hurdle has been recreating the blue shell without artificial colorings — Mars selected spirulina, an algae-based ingredient, as its replacement. Traditional M&M's will remain on store shelves alongside the new natural line.

Mars is dropping blue and brown from its first naturally colored M&M's line launching in August. the MAHA pressure campaign is working — RFK Jr.'s push to kill synthetic dyes is forcing candy companies to actually reformulate. the hardest part? blue. Mars picked spirulina (algae) to replace the artificial blue dye, per the WSJ. regular M&M's aren't going anywhere though, they're running both lines side by side.

02Spread timeline

Where it actually started

Jun 19, 2026Origin
Dexerto reports Mars will launch a naturally colored M&M line in August missing blue and brown, citing a Wall Street Journal report on the spirulina challenge.Dexerto drops the story: blue and brown M&M's getting cut from the natural line, spirulina replacing artificial blue dye.
source

03Source receipts

Every claim, linked

04What's solid, what isn't

What's solid and what isn't

Confirmed
  • Mars is launching a naturally colored M&M line in August 2026.
  • The first version will be missing blue and brown.
  • Mars selected spirulina as a natural replacement for the blue dye.
  • Traditional M&M's will remain on shelves alongside the new line.
Disputed
  • The exact dollar figure Mars is investing in the natural reformulation.
Developing
  • Whether other major candy brands follow Mars's lead on natural dye reformulation.
  • Consumer reception of the spirulina-based blue M&M.

05Why it matters

The editorial take

M&Ms are one of the most recognizable candy brands in the world, and removing two signature colors signals how seriously major food manufacturers are taking the anti-artificial-dye movement. If spirulina can't match the vibrancy consumers expect, it could reshape how candy brands approach natural reformulation at scale.

this is the FDA-adjacent pressure working in real time. when Mars is willing to lose blue — the most popular M&M color voted by consumers — to avoid synthetic dyes, that tells you the industry is actually caving, not just doing PR. watch every other candy brand follow if this launches clean.