Editing M&M's (section)

==History==
===1940–70s: Beginnings===

[[File:1941mandms.jpeg|thumb|right|[[Milk Chocolate]] M&M's were introduced in 1941.]]

In the 1930s, [[Forrest Mars Sr.]], son of the Mars Company founder, [[Franklin Clarence Mars]], saw soldiers in the [[Spanish Civil War]] eating British-made [[Smarties]]. These are chocolate pellets with a colored shell of what confectioners call hard panning (essentially hardened sugar syrup) surrounding the outside, preventing the sweets (candies) from melting. Mars received a [[patent]] for his own process on March 3, 1941.<ref name="ForrestMarsSr">{{cite web|url=http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/mars.html |title=Inventor of the Week: Forrest Mars, Sr. |website=Lemelson-MIT Program |date=March 10, 2005 |access-date=July 18, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050310105331/http://web.mit.edu/invent/iow/mars.html |archive-date=March 10, 2005 }}</ref> 

Production began in 1941 in a factory located at 285 Badger Avenue in [[Clinton Hill, Newark, New Jersey]]. When the company was founded it was M&M Limited.<ref name="virtualnewarknj.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.virtualnewarknj.com/memories/newark/bodianmm.htm |title=Looking Back at Newark Origins of World-Famous M&M Chocolates |website=Old Newark Memories |date=April 12, 1981 |access-date=February 21, 2013 |author1=Bodian, Nat |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071019111110/http://virtualnewarknj.com/memories/newark/bodianmm.htm |archive-date=October 19, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The two Ms represent the names of Forrest E. Mars Sr. and Bruce Murrie, the son of the [[The Hershey Company|Hershey Chocolate]]'s president, William F. R. Murrie, who had a 20 percent share in the product.<ref name="MurrieArchive">{{cite web |title=William F.R. Murrie, 1873-1950 |url=https://hersheyarchives.org/encyclopedia/murrie-william-f-r-1873-1950/ |website=Hershey Community Archives |publisher=The M.S. Hershey Foundation |access-date=January 22, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190420200840/https://hersheyarchives.org/encyclopedia/murrie-william-f-r-1873-1950/ |archive-date=April 20, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> The arrangement allowed the candies to be made with Hershey chocolate, as Hershey had control of the [[ration]]ed chocolate at the time.<ref name="ForrestMarsSr" />

[[Nestlé]] archives show<ref name="mashed/smarties-mms">{{cite web |last1=Crossan |first1=Anna |title=The Unlikely Similarity Between Smarties And M&M's |url=https://www.mashed.com/1281792/unlikely-similarity-between-smarties-m-ms/ |website=Mashed |access-date=1 November 2023 |date=13 May 2023}}</ref> that George Harris of Rowntree and Forrest Mars Sr. agreed, after much negotiation, to share the marketplace rather than compete, with Rowntree making Mars Bars in Canada, Erie and South Africa and with Mars making M&M's in America without competition from Smarties, and Rowntree did not attempt to sue Mars for stealing their concept.<ref name="thevintagenews/mm-smarties">{{cite web |last1=Smee |first1=Taryn |title=Candy Wars: Did M&M's Steal their Concept from Smarties? |url=https://www.thevintagenews.com/2018/08/08/mm-vs-smarties/ |website=The Vintage News |access-date=1 November 2023 |language=en |date=8 August 2018}}</ref>

[[File:M&M-with-mm-ruler.jpg|thumb|left|Orange M&M's chocolate candy in cross-section with [[millimeter]] ruler for scale. Shows layers of [[Sugar panning|hard-panned]] coating.]]
The company's first big customer was the [[United States Army|U.S. Army]], which saw the invention as a way to allow soldiers to carry chocolate in tropical climates without it melting. During [[World War II]], the candies were exclusively sold to the military.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.virtualnewarknj.com/memories/newark/bodianmm.htm |title=Looking Back at Newark Origins of World-Famous M&M Chocolates – virtualnewarknj.com – Retrieved August 28, 2008 |website=Virtual.com |date=April 12, 1981 |access-date=January 15, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716153908/http://www.virtualnewarknj.com/memories/newark/bodianmm.htm |archive-date=July 16, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The resulting demand caused an increase in production and the company moved its factory to bigger quarters at 200 North 12th Street in [[Newark, New Jersey]]. In 1958, it moved to a bigger factory at [[Hackettstown, New Jersey|Hackettstown]]. A second factory was opened in [[Cleveland, Tennessee]], in 1978.<ref>{{cite news|last=Mincey|first=Allen|date=March 4, 2016|title=Mars Chocolate North America celebrates 'Big 7-5' of M&M's|url=http://clevelandbanner.com/stories/mars-chocolate-north-americacelebrates-big-7-5-of-mms,29186|work=[[Cleveland Daily Banner]]|location=Cleveland, Tennessee|access-date=June 30, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180630105317/http://clevelandbanner.com/stories/mars-chocolate-north-americacelebrates-big-7-5-of-mms,29186|archive-date=June 30, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> Today, about half of the production of M&M's occurs at the New Jersey factory, and half at the Tennessee factory.<ref>{{cite news|last=Warnke|first=Kyle|date=August 12, 2016|title=M&M's and Twix are Made in Tennessee|url=http://www.wvlt.tv/content/news/MMs-and-Twix-are-Made-in-Tennessee--389973792.html|publisher=[[WVLT-TV]]|location=Knoxville, Tennessee|access-date=June 29, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180630105510/http://www.wvlt.tv/content/news/MMs-and-Twix-are-Made-in-Tennessee--389973792.html|archive-date=June 30, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[File:Mandmpenaut.jpg|thumb|[[Peanut]] M&M's were introduced in 1954.]]In 1949, the brand introduced the tagline "The milk chocolate that melts in your mouth, not in your hand."<ref name="Smith">{{Cite book |last=Smith |first=Andrew F. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o7gxBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA536 |title=Food and Drink in American History: A "Full Course" Encyclopedia: A "Full Course" Encyclopedia |publisher=ABC-CLIO |year=2013 |isbn=978-1-6106-9233-5 |volume=3 |pages=536}}</ref> In 1950, a black "M" was imprinted on the candies giving them a unique trademark. It was changed to white in 1954.<ref name="virtualnewarknj.com" /> In the early 1950s, the Midwest Research Institute (now [[MRIGlobal]]) in [[Kansas City, Missouri]], worked on behalf of M&M's to perfect a process whereby {{convert|3300|lb}} of chocolate centers could be coated every hour.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mriresearch.org/AboutMRI/Breakthroughs.asp |title=MRI Breakthroughs |website=Mriresearch.org |date=September 11, 2001 |access-date=January 15, 2010 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080702054645/http://www.mriresearch.org/AboutMRI/Breakthroughs.asp |archive-date = July 2, 2008}}</ref> Peanut M&M's were introduced in 1954 but first appeared<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7-WcKK01H1cC&q=peanut+m&pg=PR54|title=Fast Food and Junk Food: An Encyclopedia of What We Love to Eat|last=Smith|first=Andrew F.|date=2012|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=9780313393938|language=en}}</ref> only in the color tan. In 1960, M&M's added the yellow, red, and green colors.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.upi.com/MMS-show-their-true-colors/80061079017251/ |title=M&M's show their true colors|date=March 11, 2004 |access-date=April 8, 2019}}</ref>

In 1976, the color orange was added to the mix to replace red, which was discontinued in response to the "red dye scare" over [[Amaranth (dye)|Red Dyes #2]] and [[Carmine|#4]] having been evaluated as [[Carcinogen|carcinogenic]]. Although M&M's were made with the less controversial [[Allura Red AC|Red Dye #40]], the public was wary of any food being dyed red. Red M&M's were reintroduced in 1987.<ref name="Smith" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.livescience.com/33017-why-were-red-mms-discontinued-for-a-decade.html|title=Why Were Red M&M's Discontinued for a Decade? LiveScience.|first=Remy|last=Melina|website=[[Live Science]] |date=February 10, 2011|access-date=May 22, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180523100159/https://www.livescience.com/33017-why-were-red-mms-discontinued-for-a-decade.html|archive-date=May 23, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

===1980s: Expanding internationally===
In the 1980s, M&M's were introduced internationally to Australia, Canada, Europe, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mms.com/us/about/mmshistory/ |title=M&M'S About M&MS: History |website=Mms.com |date=October 6, 2010 |access-date=November 21, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121124062134/http://mms.com/us/about/mmshistory/ |archive-date=November 24, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

M&Ms Royals were marketed in the early 1980s with an advertising campaign that said: "Now chocolate's got a whisper of mint." They were colored pale green or brown and showed a crown rather than an M&Ms logo.

Although they were marketed and then withdrawn in the 1960s, almond-centred M&M's were available again in 1988 in limited release, with appearances only during [[Christmas]] and [[Easter]] times; they became a standard part of the product line in 1992.

Also in 1986, M&M's launched Holidays Chocolate Candies for Easter and Christmas, with the Easter candies having a bunny, chick, and egg symbols on pastel-colored shells, and the Christmas candies having pine tree, bell, and candle symbols on red and green shells; with the latter also having a special mint flavor. By 1993, the holiday symbols were replaced with the standard trademark "M".

===1990s: New flavors ring===
In 1991, Peanut Butter M&M's were released. These candies have [[peanut butter]] inside the chocolate shell and the same color scheme as the other varieties. As of at least 2013, the size of the peanut butter M&M has become slightly smaller. In 1995, tan M&Ms were discontinued to be replaced by blue. To introduce the new color, the Home Shopping Network televised a promotional video for the blue M&M. Producer Jon Watson became the first man to wear the famous blue M&M suit.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://money.cnn.com/2002/06/20/news/companies/mandms/|title=M&M lovers pick purple – Jun. 20, 2002|publisher=CNN|access-date=October 5, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060527062928/http://money.cnn.com/2002/06/20/news/companies/mandms/|archive-date=May 27, 2006|url-status=live}}</ref>

During the 1990s, Europe first began to adopt the M&M's brand name, replacing existing products. Two of these were known as "Treats" and "Bonitos."{{citation needed|date=November 2022}} In 1996, Mars introduced "M&M's Minis", smaller candies usually sold in plastic tubes instead of bags.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mms.com/us/about/mmshistory/ |title=M&M Minis |website=Mms.com |access-date=February 21, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121124062134/http://mms.com/us/about/mmshistory/ |archive-date=November 24, 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1999, Crispy M&M's were released. They were slightly larger than the milk chocolate variety and also featured a crispy wafer center. Crispy M&M's were discontinued in the United States in 2005, before being reintroduced in 2015 and re-discontinued in 2022 to make way for the Crunchy Cookie flavor; however, they remained continually available in Europe and Australia.<ref name="CrispyRelease">{{cite news |last1=Taylor |first1=Victoria |title=Crispy M&M's returning to shelves in January |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/eats/crispy-m-m-returning-shelves-january-article-1.1961113?gclid=Cj0KCQjw4s7qBRCzARIsAImcAxbwy0vHXr0mrrA7pB_yZ3tqxoPy6Ow3c5cBbqQTe0Nm4YOsX7qobNMaAq1fEALw_wcB |access-date=August 15, 2019 |work=Daily News|location=New York |date=October 2, 2014}}</ref>

===2000s–present: New flavors and re-releases===
In July 2001, [[dulce de leche]] M&M's were introduced in five markets with large Hispanic populations: [[Los Angeles, California]]; [[San Diego, California]]; [[Miami, Florida]]; [[McAllen, Texas|McAllen]]-[[Brownsville, Texas]]; and [[San Antonio, Texas]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allbusiness.com/food-beverage/food-industry-food-mfg-sugar/6097035-1.html |title=M&M/MARS Woos Latinos With New "M&M's" Dulce de Leche-Caramel Chocolate Candies; New Flavor to Premiere in Markets With Highest Concentration of Latinos. &#124; Food & Beverage > Food Industry from |website=AllBusiness.com |access-date=January 15, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110814112614/http://www.allbusiness.com/food-beverage/food-industry-food-mfg-sugar/6097035-1.html |archive-date=August 14, 2011}}</ref> The flavor never became popular with the Hispanic community, who preferred existing M&M's flavors, and it was discontinued in most areas by early 2003.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nuintelligence.net/Manager/anmviewer.asp?a=9 |title=Hot Seat ! Dulce de Leche M&M's Fail |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041022003258/http://www.nuintelligence.net/Manager/anmviewer.asp?a=9 |archive-date=October 22, 2004}}</ref>

Several other flavors of M&M debuted throughout the 2010s. These include Pretzel M&M's, released in 2010,<ref name="PretzelAnnouncement">{{cite news |last1=Olsen |first1=Elizabeth |title=A Campaign for M&Ms With a Salty Center? Sweet |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/22/business/media/22adco.html |access-date=August 15, 2019 |work=The New York Times |date=June 21, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190815030848/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/22/business/media/22adco.html |archive-date=August 15, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> limited edition Coffee Nut M&M's, released in 2016,<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://time.com/4424241/coffee-nut-mms-flavor/|title=This New M&M's Flavour Will Fuel Your Coffee Addiction|date=July 26, 2016|magazine=Time|author1=McCluskey, Megan|access-date=September 9, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160915051112/http://time.com/4424241/coffee-nut-mms-flavor/|archive-date=September 15, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Caramel M&M's, released in 2017,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mms-launches-new-soft-caramel-filled-chocolate-candies-300455785.html|title=M&M'S Launches New Soft Caramel-Filled Chocolate Candies|agency=PR Newswire|author=Mars Chocolate North America|date=May 11, 2017|access-date=May 17, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170514074444/http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mms-launches-new-soft-caramel-filled-chocolate-candies-300455785.html|archive-date=May 14, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> limited edition English Toffee M&M's, released in 2019,<ref name="ToffeeNYDailyNews">{{cite news |last1=Cinone |first1=Danielle |title=M&M's is revealing three 'internationally inspired' flavors in 2019 — including Mexican jalapeno peanut |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/eats/ny-news-mm-revealing-three-new-internationally-inspired-flavors-20180913-story.html?gclid=Cj0KCQjw4s7qBRCzARIsAImcAxY2uNXQb0jEDvOUkfbNxTtcYVVV0-lYsLnz8_rWzX8UwldBxkvqZbwaAoddEALw_wcB |access-date=August 15, 2019 |work=Daily News|location=New York |date=September 13, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.delish.com/food-news/a28638002/english-toffee-mms/|title=English Toffee Peanut Won M&M's 2019 "Flavor Vote" |last=Holender |first=Samantha |website=Delish |date=August 7, 2019}}</ref> and limited edition Hazelnut Spread M&M's, also released in 2019.<ref name="USATodayHazelnut">{{cite news |last1=Tyko |first1=Kelly |title=New hazelnut spread M&M's are coming in April along with new Reese's cups |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/03/26/hazelnut-spread-mms-reeses-lovers-cups-mars-incorporated/3274737002/ |access-date=August 15, 2019 |work=USA Today |date=March 26, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190811222706/https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/03/26/hazelnut-spread-mms-reeses-lovers-cups-mars-incorporated/3274737002/ |archive-date=August 11, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

A range of additional products was launched in the 2000s and 2010s to expand beyond the traditional line of candies. A chocolate bar called the [[M-Azing]] was initially released in 2004, and subsequently relaunched in 2013,<ref name="AdAge2006">{{cite web |last1=Thompson |first1=Stephanie |title=Mars to Scale Back M-Azing Brand |url=https://adage.com/article/news/mars-scale-back-m-azing-brand/112718 |website=Advertising Age |publisher=Crain Communications |access-date=August 15, 2019 |date=October 26, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190531132123/https://adage.com/article/news/mars-scale-back-m-azing-brand/112718 |archive-date=May 31, 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref> oversized candies titled "Mega M&M's" were briefly released in 2007 to promote the ''[[Shrek]]'' film series, before being introduced as a standalone product in 2014,<ref name="MegaStart">{{cite web |last1=Pham |first1=Peter |title=M&M's to Launch 'Mega' Version with Triple the Chocolate |url=https://www.foodbeast.com/news/mms-mega-to-launch-next-year/ |website=Food Beast |date=December 10, 2013 |access-date=August 15, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190815021701/https://www.foodbeast.com/news/mms-mega-to-launch-next-year/ |archive-date=August 15, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> M&M cookies began to be sold in the United States in 2016,<ref name="logo">{{cite web |last1=Ferria |first1=Kayla |title=The History Of The M&M Logo |url=https://www.hatchwise.com/resources/the-history-of-the-mms-logo |website=Hatchwise |access-date=2 June 2024 |quote=The company released an M&M’s cookie in 2016.}}</ref> and M&M chocolate blocks were released in Australia in 2017.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Yu |first1=Douglas |title=Mars launches first M&M's chocolate block in Australia |url=https://www.confectionerynews.com/Article/2017/04/27/Mars-launches-first-M-M-s-chocolate-block-in-Australia |website=Confectionary News |date=April 26, 2017 |access-date=June 15, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190808225825/https://www.confectionerynews.com/Article/2017/04/27/Mars-launches-first-M-M-s-chocolate-block-in-Australia |archive-date=August 8, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2020, Fudge Brownie M&M's were released in the United States. They were discontinued in April 2024.

On September 28, 2022, the introduction of purple M&M's was announced, as well as their newest spokescandy, Purple.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mendoza |first=Jordan |date=October 3, 2022 |title=For the first time in over a decade, a new M&M color: Meet Purple, who represents 'acceptance' |work=USA Today |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/food/2022/10/03/purple-m-and-m/8169936001/ |access-date=April 30, 2023}}</ref>