M&M’s by Mars

Information updated October 2023

An iconic chocolate brand, M&M’s are among the most popular candies in the U.S. (Source: Statista 2023) Unless you’re not a chocolate person, you probably have M&M’s memories from your childhood and perhaps throughout your life. My brother and I used to put M&M’s on the hot sidewalk in summer until they burst open into warm yumminess!

ALL M&M’S ARE BANNED AT WHOLE FOODS MARKET: M&M’s are banned at Whole Foods because they all contain multiple Artificial Colors. Some M&M’s, such as Peanut Butter M&M’s, contain additional ingredients which are also banned at Whole Foods. (Source for M&M’s ingredients: MARS M&M’s Web site 10/23; Instacart 10/23; Source for banned ingredients: Amazon Whole Foods Webs site 10/23)

Here’s a snapshot of what’s in Milk Chocolate M&M’s which contain 31 grams of Added Sugar in one 1.69oz. bag >> that’s more Added Sugar than the American Heart Association recommends for a child for an entire day which is 25 grams. (Source: AHA 2023)

PEANUT BUTTER M&M’S CONTAIN NUMEROUS INGREDIENTS BANNED AT WHOLE FOODS. Peanut Butter M&M’s include 10 Artificial Colors like we see in the Milk Chocolate M&M’s, but the Peanut Butter M&M’s also include Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil and Propyl Gallate, a laboratory Chemical Preservative >> these are also banned at Whole Foods who cites these ingredients as “Unacceptable in food”.

PEANUT BUTTER CANDY COMPARISON: M&M’S Peanut Butter vs. Little Secrets Peanut Butter.

Little Secrets Peanut Butter contain no Artificial Colors or Flavors, no Corn Syrup, no Hydrogenated Oils and no Chemical Preservatives. The ingredients for Little Secrets include natural sources for coloring the candies. (Source: Little Secrets Web site 10/23)

PEANUT CANDY COMPARISON: M&M’S Peanut vs. Closest To Homemade brand UNREAL Dark Chocolate Peanut Gems.

UNREAL contains no Artificial Colors or Added Flavors, no Corn Syrup, no Palm or Soy, and no Chemical Preservatives. UNREAL Dark Chocolate Covered Peanuts’ ingredients are certified Vegan and Gluten-Free, Fair Trade Certified and Non-GMO Project Verified. (Source: UNREAL Web site 10/23)

Below is a comparison of M&M’s Peanut vs. Justin’s Peanut Butter Candy Pieces:

Closest To Homemade® CANDY-COATED CHOCOLATES: Seen below, these delicious chocolates have no Artificial Colors or Flavors, no Hydrogenated Oils, no Corn Syrup and no Chemical Preservatives. The candies are colored using natural sources.

These include the UNREAL brand with Dark Chocolate Peanut Gems with ingredients which are certified Vegan, Fair Trade, Gluten-Free and Non-GMO Project verified, UNREAL Dark Chocolates with Crispy Quinoa whose ingredients are certified Gluten-Free, Fair Trade Certified and Non-GMO Project Verified, plus UNREAL Milk Chocolates which are certified Gluten-Free and Fair Trade certified. (Source: UNREAL Web site 10/23)