Will Fast Food Restaurants Be Taking M&Ms and Snickers Out Of Their Shakes?

The war on sugar is starting to reach a fever pitch. From pasta sauce to everyday baked goods, Americans are becoming more and more conscious of how much refined sugar they consume daily (spoiler alert: it’s way too much). Now, Mars Candy Company is considering removing M&Ms from McDonald’s McFlurry milkshakes in an attempt to combat the American appetite for sugar.

According to an article on Reuters, Mars has been in talks with McDonald’s and other fast-food chains about whether or not they’d like their candies to continue being featured in products that are already incredibly high in sugar.

The M&Ms in a McFlurry contain 7.5 TEASPOONS of sugar per serving, which is nearly a third as much sugar as a large McFlurry itself. Removing them is just “one idea on the table,” according to the article. Between the M&M McFlurry, Burger King’s Snickers pie and Dairy Queen’s famous Blizzards, including Mars candy within already-sweet ice cream treats makes the sugar levels exceed the U.S. government guidelines for an entire day’s worth of consumption.

Mars as a company has been very public about the idea that their sweets are best when eaten in moderation. Since it’s privately owned, it has more freedom in making statements like this. The company has already stopped production of “king size” candy bars, and all packages of its candy are 250 calories per serving. Mars also publicly promised to match guidelines from the World Health Organization and nutrition committees in the U.S. and UK regarding sugar content in their products.

According to the Reuters article, Mars has made “significant steps,” according to Marion Nestle, professor of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health at New York University.