The melts in your mouths They melt in your mouth, not in your hands
M&Ms are among the most loved candies in the world. The fun and colorful chocolates are able to be found in every place from shopping malls to White House and space. Here are some interesting facts that you might not be aware of regarding the two Ms including where the concept came from, the reason why the characters were redesigned and the story of two workers falling into a chocolate vat.
A chocolate-related mishap took place in the M&M’s manufacturing facility.
In a sequence of events which could’ve been directly from Seventies famous movie Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory two workers found themselves trapped after falling into a chocolate vat within the Mars M&M factory in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. It was waist high (Augustus) chocolate had a thickness so high that getting them out of from the direction they entered was impossible. A firefighter needed to make an opening into the tank’s side to save the two who were then taken to the hospital for examinations.
M&M’s stand to represent Mars and Murrie
Have you ever wondered what M&M’s stand for? It’s Mars and Murrie in reference to Forrest Mars (the son of the creator of Mars, Frank Mars) and Bruce Murrie (the son of long-time Hershey Chairman William Murrie). The unlikely couple entered business together in the early days of Second World War in 1939. These days, the two brands have become arch-rivals.
M&M’s are used to hold Hershey chocolate
At first, the small candy were created using Hershey chocolate. Murrie was able to assure Mars the supply of cocoa in spite of wartime rationing. So they agreed to work together. But, after the war, Mars purchased back Murrie’s 20% stake and then discontinued using Hershey chocolate.
The M&M’s idea came from Spain
To comprehend where the concept originated, we need look back. Dissatisfied with his father’s plight, Forrest Mars moved to Europe to establish his own business . Then while traveling in Southern Spain (possibly accompanied by Rowntree who had launched Smarties) He saw soldiers eating chocolate. In the era of Smarties, hot temperatures could be a challenge for chocolate producers, however these sweets came with sugar shells that stopped melts from occurring. This is how Mars came up with the brilliant concept and advertising slogan “melts into your mouth but not your hands”.
They first came in cardboard tubes
While you’re used seeing M&M’s in plastic packaging but they were packaged in a cardboard box when they first came out. The lid was opened and they easily poured onto your fingers. The lid can also be put back on in case you just wanted to have only a handful. The brown bags first came to the market in 1948.
At first, only the military could be the only ones to
Another interesting fact about this chocolate is that at the beginning, it was available only to military personnel. The chocolate tubs were part of soldiers diets and were extremely useful since they didn’t melt and could be sealed. It wasn’t until the latter part of the decade that the public were able to access the chocolate tubes.
The color selection that was made at the beginning included violet
The first M&M’s were sold in six shades including yellow, brown, orange red, green, and violet. In 1949, violet was changed to the colour tan. In the following year, the company requested customers to choose the colour they would like to see to be included in the package and the winners were blue. Today, you can see brown, yellow and orange as well as red blue, green and brown. However, as those who love the candy know that they all taste identically The shell isn’t a sign of any particular flavor.
M&M’s are marked with an “m” to ensure that they’re authentic
In the beginning the M&M’s packaging was bare and undistinguishable from similar candy. In 1950, it was only when they received their distinctive “m” mark and message “Look at the M on every single piece” was created. Actually, every one of Mars chocolates come with an identifiable mark with no wrapper. Have you observed the ripples on the the top of the top of a Mars bar?