M&Ms news stories on Newser

Mars Slims Down Candy

Kevin Spak — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:15:58 CST

Kiss your king-size Snickers goodbye. Mars Inc., the maker of Snickers, Twix, and M&Ms, among other confections, has announced that it will stop selling chocolate products containing more than 250 calories by the end of next year. A spokesman for the Virginia-based company says the switch is part of Mars'...

Australia Clears Red M&M of Bullying Charges

Rob Quinn — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 02:42:00 CDT

After what could be history's most prolonged ethics investigation of a piece of candy, advertising authorities in Australia have decided that the red M&M is not a bully. The ad bureau—after a 2-month investigation—rejected complaints from viewers that the M&M's behavior in TV ads set an unacceptable example...

Trick-or-Treat ... Mr President

Polly Davis Doig — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 05:00:00 CST

The leader of the free world may have been masquerading as a frumpy suburban dad and handing out dried fruit, but it was still a pretty cool treat for a couple thousand DC-area kids who went trick-or-treating at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave last night. With the first lady dressed as a...

Blue Food Dye May Help Treat Spinal Injury

Matt Cantor — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:16:07 CDT

A dye used to color blue M&Ms and Gatorade may have a higher calling: Scientists say it could help treat spinal-cord injury, ScienceBlog reports. After a spinal injury, a chemical called ATP, usually key to cells’ health, rushes to the site and kills cells, worsening paralysis. With more research, Brilliant...

Kraft, Mars, Cadbury Hit by Chinese Tainting Scandal

Matt Cantor — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 09:48:17 CDT

Kraft and Mars are investigating claims by the Indonesian government that products including Oreos, M&Ms, and Snickers imported from China are tainted with melamine, PerthNow reports. The company notes that the products tested melamine-free elsewhere in Asia, and suggests that they could be counterfeit. Still, the firms are supporting a...

M&M's Maker Countersues Naked Cowboy

Jonas Oransky — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:48:29 CDT

The maker of M&M's isn’t sitting still while the Naked Cowboy tries to serenade his way into its corporate pocketbook, the New York Post reports. Yesterday Mars Inc. fired a copyright-infringement suit at the musical cowpoke, a fixture at Times Square who had sued Mars, saying the company stole his...

Naked Cowboy to M&Ms: See You in Court

Dustin Lushing — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 17:57:23 CDT

The New York street performer known as the Naked Cowboy can sue Mars Inc. for trademark infringement, a judge ruled today, over a singing blue M&M wearing his signature costume on a Times Square billboard, Reuters reports. In seeking $6 million in damages, Robert Burck "plausibly alleges that consumers seeing...