Skittles, M&Ms To Be Naturally Dyed Soon, Says Candy-Maker Company

Two days after Mars Inc. met with Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary, the privately held food company posted a statement saying it would offer naturally colored options next year for four of its most iconic candies, including M&M's and Skittles.

The July 24 announcement on the Mars Wrigley website went largely unnoticed at a time when candymakers have been viewed as the biggest holdout in the Trump administration's efforts to get companies to voluntarily strip synthetic dyes from their food.

The move by Mars marks a step toward appeasing Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has made artificial dyes a top target. Consumers have pressed for more natural options, and some states have passed new restrictions, including West Virginia, which will prohibit the sale of food with synthetic dyes starting in 2028. 

Mars, however, stopped short of removing artificial dyes from all of its brands, saying it continues to work on that effort. 

"When we have identified fully effective, scalable solutions across the entire portfolio, we will share additional item commitments and timelines," the company said in the statement. 

An FDA spokesperson applauded Mars for its action on synthetic dyes and called the move "a win for parents, consumers and public health."

Other food companies have made broader statements pledging to remove synthetic dyes from vast swaths of their products. Hershey Co., which makes Hershey's chocolates and Jolly Rancher candy, for example, said in late June that it would remove artificial dyes from its portfolio by the end of 2027.

Representatives of Mars met with Makary on July 22, according to his public calendar.

"I think we're going to get there with Mars," Makary said the next day on a Politico podcast. 

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