Food Safety Failure Sparks Powerful M&M’s 2026 Recall Affecting Multiple U.S. States

By:Shontia Goss-Hawkins

The latest food recall is M&M’s chocolate candy. Last month, on Jan. 26, M&M’s were placed on a recall list by Beacon Promotion in 20 states for undeclared allergens, also known as food ingredients, linked to allergic reactions. This week, on Feb. 4, the FDA categorized the candy recall as a Class II. Keep reading for the details to look for on your M&M’s packet before purchasing.

Not All M&Ms Affected

Before you start throwing away every bag of M&M’s candy, it is not every style and size bag. The popular yellow bag peanut flavor and the size of the bag are 1.3 ounces. There are two recalls: one is that the bag has the phrase “Make Your Mark.” The second style recalled was used for promotional branding and featured organizations such as Liberty University, Xfinity, Best Western, and the University of Maryland, to name a few of the organizations on the packages.

The bags are being recalled because the labels on the bags do not list all the ingredients, and the ingredients missing are common allergy foods; for example, they left off peanuts, milk, and soy. Of course, if you are buying a bag of peanut M&M’s, you expect it to contain peanuts, and that’s why the recall was initially voluntary.

But according to the FDA, which classified the candy recall as a Class II, explains that a Class II recall is:

“A situation in which use of or exposure to a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remote.”

image of Child's hands holding colorful candies M&M's scattered on a light wooden table. The vibrant candy colors create a playful and joyful atmosphere.
Image of a child’s hands holding colorful candies M&M’s scattered on a light wooden table. The vibrant candy colors create a playful and joyful atmosphere. Photo by Patrick Fore Courtesy of Unsplash

Affected M&M’s Lots Identified

The good thing about the M&M’s candy bags under investigation was that they were not bought by citizens in stores, but were most likely given away by Beacon Promotion, which is why they are leading the charge to call for the recall.

According to health.com, the bags containing “Make Your Mark” have the lot code of “M1823200 and a best-by date of April 30, 2026.”

The article goes on to provide information about the bags, including the names of the companies on the label, lot codes, and expiration dates, and the 20 states affected by the candy recall.

The lot number and expiration dates are

  • “Lot L450ARCLV03; best by December 1, 2025”
  • “Lot L502FLHKP01; best by January 1, 2026”
  • “Lot L523CMHKP01; best by June 30, 2026”
  • “Lot L537GMHKP01; best by September 1, 2026.”

And the states are

“Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.”

Check Your M&M Packaging

Hearing that your favorite candy is on a food recall list may sound scary, but don’t panic. Again, it is not all M&M packets. If you feel you have a tainted bag with the phrase “Make Your Mark” or one from a different company, check the lot number and expiration date to confirm your suspicions. If you do have a tainted bag, you can throw it away or inform the person eating it of the mislabel and that the product contains milk, peanuts, and soy.