Editing Smarties (section)

==Colours==
[[File: Smarties old new.jpg|thumb|UK Nestlé Smarties, before (above) and immediately after (below) transition to natural colours. The blue Smartie was later reintroduced, using a natural blue dye.]]
In one of the earlier ranges of colours, there was a light-brown Smartie. This was replaced in 1988 by a blue Smartie, introduced as part of campaign opposing the purchase of [[Rowntree Mackintosh Confectionery]] by Nestlé, along with 'I Support Blue Smarties' pin badges. Before 1958, dark-brown Smarties had a plain-chocolate centre, while light-brown ones were coffee-flavoured. Orange Smarties originally contained orange-flavoured chocolate,<ref>Ben Schott, Schott's Food & Drink Miscellany</ref> however, these days the orange flavour is added to the shell only.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nestle.co.uk/aboutus/history/blog/posts/smarties|access-date=10 February 2017|title=Smarties}}</ref>

In 2006, it was announced that Nestlé was removing all artificial colourings from Smarties in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/106533335/joe-schwarcz-smarties-purged-do-you/|title=Smarties Purged: Do You Still Eat the Red Ones Last?|date=June 29, 2009|first=Joe|last=Schwarcz|work=The Gazette (Montreal)|access-date=July 29, 2022|page=A9|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Nestlé decided to replace all synthetic dyes with natural ones, but, unable to source a natural blue dye, removed blue Smarties from circulation (which led to the common misunderstanding that the blue Smartie triggered hyperactivity in some children) and replaced them with white ones.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2008/feb/11/fooddrinks |title=Smarties manufacturer brings back the blues |publisher=Guardian |date= 11 February 2008|access-date=22 July 2009 |location=London |first=Rebecca |last=Smithers}}</ref> In February 2008, blue smarties were reintroduced using natural blue dye derived from the [[cyanobacteria|cyanobacterium]] [[Arthrospira platensis|spirulina]] instead of the controversial [[brilliant blue FCF]] (FD&C Blue 1, E133).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7238247.stm |title=Seaweed allows Smarties comeback |publisher=BBC News |date=11 February 2008 |access-date=22 July 2009}}</ref>

Artificial colouring was removed from Smarties on the Canadian market in March 2009. The new range included all the colours except blue. Blue Smarties were re-added in May 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nestle.ca/en/articles/general_food_information/Smarties_No_Artificial_Colours.htm |title=Nestlé : SMARTIES No Artificial Colours |publisher=Nestle.ca |date=1 June 2009 |access-date=22 July 2009}}</ref>

Red Smarties were previously dyed with [[cochineal]], a derivative of the product made by extracting colour from female cochineal insects. A pigment extracted from red cabbage is now used in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk/food/story/0,,2079769,00.html |title=Veggies beware! |publisher=Lifeandhealth.guardian.co.uk |date= 15 May 2007|access-date=22 July 2009 |location=London |first=Laura |last=Barton}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/135/135160_vegetarians_see_red_over_smarties_dye.html |title=Vegetarians see red over smarties dye|publisher=Manchester Evening News |date=28 October 2004 |access-date=22 July 2009}}</ref>

For the purposes of assessing an "active learning approach to epidemiology and critical appraisal", a mock [[randomised controlled trial]] tested the hypothesis that red Smarties could increase happiness. Based on a trial with 117 participants in four settings in Australia, Canada and Malaysia, red Smarties eaters were no happier than yellow Smarties eaters.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Baker|first1=Philip R. A.|last2=Francis|first2=Daniel P.|last3=Cathcart|first3=Abby|date=22 April 2017|title=A Mock Randomized Controlled Trial With Audience Response Technology for Teaching and Learning Epidemiology|journal=Asia-Pacific Journal of Public Health|language=en|volume=29|issue=3|pages=229–240|doi=10.1177/1010539517700473|pmid=28434251|s2cid=24488124|url=https://eprints.qut.edu.au/106778/3/106778.pdf}}</ref>