M&M vs Skittles: Difference and Comparison

The global candy market is expected to reach 290.7 billion US dollars by 2028. This figure shows how giant and popular the market has become. Not only children but also elder people are in love with chocolates and candies.

Though there are several famous brands in the market, the two brands that everyone knows about are M&M and Skittles. Both of them might seem similar but they are different.

Key Takeaways

1. M&M’s are chocolate candies with a candy shell, while Skittles are fruit-flavored chewy candies with a hard sugar shell.
2. Mars Incorporated produces M&M’s, while the Wrigley Company, a subsidiary of Mars, makes Skittles.
3. M&M’s come in various chocolate varieties, while Skittles feature different fruit flavors.

M&M vs Skittles

M&Ms are small, round chocolate candies with a hard candy shell. They are available in a variety of colours and may also have peanut fillings. Skittles are small fruit-flavoured candies with a chewy texture. They are available in a rainbow of colours and flavours, as strawberry, orange, and lemon.

M&M are small button-shaped candies.

The candies are covered by a hard shell which can be red, blue, brown, yellow, or orange. Inside the hard shell, there is a sweet filling most probably of chocolate. Other fillings include peanut butter, caramel, dark chocolate, almond, pretzel, and others.

Skittles are fruit-flavored candies with a button-like shape. Generally, their outer shell can be red, yellow, green, orange, or purple. These colors resemble different flavors.

For example, red is for strawberry, orange is for orange, yellow is for lemon, green is for lime, and purple is for blackcurrant.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	M&M	Skittles
Launched in (year)	1941	1974
Launched in (country)	USA	Britain
Flavor	Chocolate, peanut, nuts	Fruity (lime, strawberry, etc.)
Texture of filling	Crispy	Chewy
Insignia	‘m’ written on each candy	‘S’ written on each candy
Calories (1 pack)	230	250
Total Fat (1 pack)	9g	2.5g
Protein (1 pack)	2g	0g

What is M&M?

M&M are button-shaped candies that come in chocolate, nut, and peanut flavors. They are crispy to eat and their outer shell is made up of different colors.

The outer shell also has a little ‘m’ written on it which distinguishes it from other confectioneries. Starting in the United States, the company now sells in more than 100 countries.

M&M candies were originally invented for soldiers during the Spanish Civil War. The chocolate used to meltdown in the warm climate of Spain, and to tackle that problem M&M candies were introduced.

They had a hard sugar covering around the chocolate so that it remains solid in the tropical climate. M&Ms were sold exclusively to the military during World War II.

The U.S. Army was the company’s first customer, and luckily it was the biggest which allowed M&Ms to gain market in the civil societies later.

M&M Limited was founded by Forrest Mars Sr. and Bruce Murrie. One ‘M’ in M&M is for “Mars” and the other one is for “Murrie”. Bruce Murrie was the son of William Murrie, the president of Hershey Chocolate.

This deal was essential as the candies required chocolate and at that time Hershey’s were dominant in the chocolate market. Currently, Mars Incorporated owns the M&M brand.

What is Skittles?

Skittles are fruit-flavored candies made up of colorful outer shells. These shells have an engraved ‘S’ which identifies them from other candies. Skittles are marketed by the Wrigley Company, which is a division of Mars Incorporated.

Mars Inc. acquired the Wrigley Company in 2008, and in 2016, it merged the Wrigley Company in its chocolate division.

Skittles was invented in Britain in 1974. It is said that the name “Skittles” was derived from a game. This game was played in various European nations. The players have to throw a sphere at nine pins.

This sphere was called a “skittle”. Skittles were introduced in the US in 1979, and since then they have been able to keep up in the confectionery market. Skittles are now being sold in more than 60 countries and it offers more than a hundred flavors.

Skittles are also known for their marketing strategies. Their slogan “taste the rainbow” is one of a kind and expresses everything the candies offer. In 2016, Skittles launched white candies to support the Gay Rights Movement.

This was a bold move and a controversial one, but the Wrigley Company still produces white candies in June.

Main Differences Between M&M and Skittles

1. M&M was launched in 1941 whereas Skittles came into the market in 1974.
2. M&M was initially invented in the United States as an exclusive product for the US Army. Skittles is said to be originated in Britain.
3. M&Ms are crispy when you eat them. On the other hand, Skittles are chewy.
4. M&Ms offer flavors like chocolate and peanut but Skittles offer more than 100 fruit flavors.
5. M&M candies have a little white ‘m’ embedded on them whereas Skittles have ‘S’ written.
6. M&Ms are sold in more than 100 countries whereas Skittles are sold in more than 60.
7. A pack of M&M contains 230 calories as compared to 250 calories in a Skittles pack. Also, it is important to note that a single pack of M&M weighs 47.9 grams and a single pack of Skittles weighs 61.5g.
8. One pack of M&M contains 9g fat whereas one pack of Skittles contains 2.5g fat.
9. M&M contains 2g protein per pack. On the other hand, Skittles contains 0g protein per pack.

References

1. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/09332480.1996.11884581
2. https://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2105/AJPH.2008.152918

Last Updated : 13 July, 2023