Mars Wrigley to Introduce Dye-Free Versions of Popular Candies Nationwide

Starting in 2026, Mars Wrigley will launch Skittles, M&M’s, Starburst, and Extra Gum made without artificial colors across the United States, expanding access to naturally colored products as part of a broader shift toward cleaner ingredient lists.

Mars Wrigley North America announced last month that products across four categories of its popular treats -- gum, fruity confections and chocolate candy -- will be made "without Food, Drug & Cosmetic (FD&C) colors" starting in 2026.

The first brands to be available without without FD&C colors will include M&M's Chocolate, Skittles Original, Extra Gum Spearmint and Starburst Original fruit chews, the company said

The move makes Mars Wrigley an early entrant to a growing list of major consumer product goods companies offering a choice of naturally colored products.

The change comes amid a push from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to crack down on synthetic food additives as part of his initiative to "Make America Healthy Again." Among those efforts are proposals to phase out artificial food dyes in favor of natural alternatives.