(Originally posted on ScalpEm.com)
Over the years I have convinced my Dad to wholeheartedly throw his allegiance to FSU. Before I was a Seminole, he could have overlooked college sports without a care. Now he is a diehard supporter.
The other day I received a very strange email from him. He sent me a forward of an email he sent to the M&M candy people in which he asked why there were so few red and yellow M&Ms and so many blue and orange ones in a recent bag he purchased. He also asked the M&M people if they knew blue and orange were the school colors of that hated university down the road. Why wasn't the closest thing to garnet and gold fairly represented in his bag? Was this a national trend, or did he just get a bag filled by a UF alumnus (probably a math major)?
Less than a week later, my Dad received a response from the M&M people, which he of course also forwarded to me. His sneaking suspicion was correct - there were more blue and orange M&Ms than there were red and yellow ones in every bag. Although it depended on the flavor, in some cases the ratio was almost double.
Here is the response of his inquiry:
Dear Sir,
In response to your email regarding M&M'S CHOCOLATE CANDIES.
Thank you for your email.
Our color blends were selected by conducting consumer preference tests, which indicate the assortment of colors that pleased the greatest number of people and created the most attractive overall effect.
On average, our mix of colors for M&M'S CHOCOLATE CANDIES is:
M&M'S MILK CHOCOLATE: 24% cyan blue, 20% orange, 16% green, 14% bright yellow, 13% red, 13% brown.
M&M'S PEANUT: 23% cyan blue, 23% orange, 15% green, 15% bright yellow, 12% red, 12% brown.
M&M'S KIDS MINIS: 25% cyan blue, 25% orange, 12% green, 13% bright yellow, 12% red, 13% brown.
M&M'S DARK: 17% cyan blue, 16% orange, 16% green, 17% bright yellow, 17% red, 17% brown.
M&M'S PEANUT BUTTER and ALMOND: 20% cyan blue, 20% orange, 20% green, 20% bright yellow, 10% red, 10% brown.
M&M'S PRETZEL: 20% each of red, green, orange, blue and brown.
M&M'S COCONUT: 37.5% white, 37.5% brown and 25% green.
Each large production batch is blended to those ratios and mixed thoroughly. However, since the individual packages are filled by weight on high-speed equipment, and not by count, it is possible to have an unusual color distribution.
Have a great day!
Your Friends at Mars Chocolate North America
Only in a bag of M&Ms Dark are there more red and yellow than orange and blue. And then only by 1%. I don't know where "my friends" at the Mars Chocolate Co. conducted their "consumer preference tests", but I have a sneaking suspicion it was somewhere close to Gainesville.
