Netflix's 'Stranger Things' got one thing wrong about 1985 — there were no red M&Ms (2024)

FAQs

Why were red M&Ms taken off the market? ›

When did they stop making red M&MS? There was a red synthetic food dye that was banned in 1976. M&Ms never used the dye but to avoid consumer confusion the red M&Ms were pulled from production. Red was re-introduced in 1987 when the scare over the synthetic dye was over.

In 1976, Mars eliminated red-colored M&M's because of health concerns over the dye amaranth (FD&C Red #2), which was a suspected carcinogen, and replaced them with orange M&M's. This was done despite the fact that M&M's did not contain the dye; the action was purely to satisfy worried consumers.

As for red M&M's, Mars actually stopped producing the color between 1976 and 1987, according to Mental Floss. Apparently, the Soviet Union declared that Red Dye No. 2 could pose a health risk to those who consumed it. So, to be safe, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned the use of the dye.

Red M&Ms; were discontinued in 1976 because of “confusion and concern” over Red Dye No. 2, which was banned by federal regulators as a health risk, said Fiuczynski.

The candy brand announced that Maya Rudolph would replace its promotional cartoon characters, which have been the focus of a partisan backlash. A controversy erupted when M&M's made changes to its roster of characters and to the shoes they wear.

M&M's spokescandies — the cartoon versions of the candies that appear in advertisem*nts — will be paused indefinitely. The move comes after Fox News' Tucker Carlson spent months attacking minor brand changes to some of the characters as "woke." Maya Rudolph, a comedian and actor, will step in in their place.

The rarest M&M color is generally considered to be brown. In the past, brown M&M's were discontinued for a period of time but were reintroduced in 1987 due to popular demand.

No, they are made of chocolate with a red shell coating. They ARE NOT made from beetles. That isn't including the red dye.

Mon, Apr 21, 1997 (11:59 a.m.) Gene Brown opened a package of peanut M&Ms Sunday night during a card game. He spotted a gray M&M and immediately thought he had won the $1 million prize offered by M&M Mars in its promotional sweepstakes.

When did they stop making red M&MS? There was a red synthetic food dye that was banned in 1976. M&Ms never used the dye but to avoid consumer confusion the red M&Ms were pulled from production.

What does red 40 do to your body? ›

The use of Red Dye 40 is concerning because it has been linked to a host of physical and mental health issues, including ADD/ADHD, allergies, immune disorders, mind storms (which are issues with the brain's wiring or electrical activity), and even inflammatory bowel diseases.

M&M's are colored with Red 40, an artificial food dye approved by the Federal Drug Administration. In 1971, a Russian study claimed that Red No. 2, another artificial food dye, was carcinogenic. Although it was never actually proven, the FDA banned the use of the dye in 1976.

From 1976 to 1987, there were no red M&Ms. The candy, which was introduced by the Mars company in 1941, succumbed to a brief bout of hysteria in 1976, when federal regulations identified red food coloring, or Red Dye No. 2, as a possible health risk.

When M&M's first hit the market in 1941, the original colors were red, yellow, green, brown, and, guess what? PURPLE. This variety of coated candies was sent around the world during World War II in its original cardboard tube packaging.

If you were born in or before the 1980s and your parents allowed you to eat candy, chances are good that you encountered tan M&Ms. But for those of you who had your first chocolate experience in the mid-90s, you will probably know the current M&M color line up, which includes the color blue.

The Mars candy company stopped making red M&Ms in 1976 after the FDA removed red dye number 2 from its safe list. The decision followed a Russian study in 1971 that reported the dye caused tumors in rats. The FDA concluded the study was flawed, and Mars didn't even use that dye for M&Ms.

However, in 1985, the red M&M's were reintroduced using a different food coloring. Therefore, red M&Ms are less rare than the other colors but the company doesn't disclose the exact proportion of the colors in their bags.

And the de-sexification of the Green M&M is still causing such a fuss that one year on, Mars Wrigley has announced an "indefinite pause" on its famous spokescandies (apparently that's what they're called) until further notice.