If you grew up on neon-colored Skittles, glow-in-the-dark Gatorade, and M&M’s so bright they could guide planes in fog, welcome to the end of an era.
Mars Wrigley just confirmed that M&M’s, Skittles, Starburst, and even Extra gum are getting a dye detox. Starting next year, the company will begin rolling out versions of its biggest sellers without FD&C artificial colors—those lab-made additives you’ll also find in cough syrup, shampoo, and, unfortunately, the American food supply.
This isn’t the first time Mars tried to clean up its rainbow. Back in 2016, they pledged to ditch artificial dyes altogether. Then they pulled a U-turn when consumers panicked that “natural” might mean less neon. But now, with states cracking down and RFK Jr. waving the ban hammer on petroleum-based chemicals, the candy giant is finally getting in line.
The company says the new versions will launch online first. No word yet on whether they’ll sit next to the originals or quietly replace them, but you can expect labels to start reading like Whole Foods for beginners.
And no—this doesn’t mean everything turns beige. Mars says it’s working on new color alternatives that pass the science test and still look fun. (Translation: nobody wants sad-looking Skittles.)
Titanium dioxide, the whitening agent recently pulled from Skittles, is already gone. Red 3 (the one banned after it gave rats cancer) is out too. Coming next are Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 2. Basically, if it sounds like a printer cartridge, it’s on the chopping block.
This is part of a bigger wave. Kraft Heinz, General Mills, Nestlé, and Hershey have all announced similar changes. The FDA even fast-tracked approval for three new “natural” dyes, just to keep up.
For now, it’s still a transition, not a full-on replacement. But the writing’s on the candy-coated wall: the days of licking your fingers and wondering why they’re stained blue might finally be numbered.
Or not. Depends how much you loved that weird aftertaste.