No M&M’s in McFlurries and Blizzards? Mars may be removing its candies from fast food desserts

Savour your summertime McFlurry peppered with M&M’s – it may not be sticking around.

Mars stopped making king-sized candy bars, it was the first to list calories and sugar on the front of labels, and in its latest move, the confectionery company is looking into removing its chocolates from fast food desserts.

Last week, Reuters reported that Mars was in talks with its industry partners to pull its candies from desserts, such as McDonald’s McFlurries and Dairy Queen Blizzards. Another option would be to change the desserts’ recipes, according to the source who spoke to the wire service.

Global News asked Mars spokespeople in Canada if the change would apply here, too. Turns out, it would — if the move comes to fruition.

“This is a global commitment that will include Canada. We are only now working alongside our suppliers and customers to bring this commitment to life,” the company’s Canadian spokeswoman, Leslie Brams-Baker told Global News in an email.

Mars chocolates include Mars, Snickers, 3 Musketeers, Milky Way, Twix and Maltesers, to name a few. It’s also the makers of Skittles, Starburst and Lifesavers.

READ MORE: How much sugar and how many calories are in your summertime drink?

Keep in mind, in 2014 the World Health Organization dropped the gauntlet on the food industry with its updated sugar recommendations: sugar intake should be just five per cent of your total calories, half of what the global health agency had recommended years ago.

For an average woman who eats about 2,000 calories a day, that’s roughly 25 grams of sugar – less than half of a can of pop, about two portions of yogurt or an entire Caramilk bar.

A regular McFlurry with M&M’s has 620 calories and 82 grams of sugar while a small Blizzard with M&M’s has 660 calories and 87 grams of sugar.

Mars says it’s working on making sure its treats align with the WHO’s guidelines.

“Our commitment to limiting added sugars in our products to less than 10 per cent of total energy/caloric intake is based on the recommendation of the world’s leading health authorities,” Brams-Baker said in an email.

READ MORE: How much sugar should you be eating? How to follow WHO guidelines

Mars was the first of the chocolate manufacturers to list calories and sugar on the front of its candy bars in 2008. After that, its peers followed.

By 2013, Mars phased out its king-sized candy bars and traded them in for packages that are up to 250 calories per serving.

It’s also the company that told its customers to limit how often they were eating its pasta sauces and lasagna meal kits because they shouldn’t be “everyday” products.

The company told Reuters it was making these shifts to help customers understand their products are “occasional treats.”

carmen.chai@globalnews.ca
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