Iconic candies — M&M’s, Skittles, Starbust — get stripped of artificial coloring as Mars chases sugar high with less dye

There’s a new way to taste the rainbow. Soon, three of America’s most iconic candies — M&M’s, Skittles and Starburst — will be sold with natural ingredients that recreate the candies’ famously vibrant (and artificial) hues. The treats will be available on Amazon, and cost the same as those with the usual artificial coloring. Parent company Mars Inc. announced the swap last year, citing changing consumer preferences, plus a 2025 announcement by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to phase out potentially harmful synthetic petroleum dyes from the U.S. food supply chain. The change in color for three of Mars’ most iconic candies comes in the midst of a wellness-centric era. AFP via Getty Images For years, dyes such as Red No. 4 and Yellow No. 5 have been used to help color most candy. But