How are M&M's made?

Factual Questions
1

They are so perfectly round and coated…so how do they do it?

2

This was shown on the Food Network’s “Unwrapped”. The shapes are made in molds and the candy coating is sprayed on, like paint. The “M” is printed on with a foam stamp.

3

A couple of The Master’s columns on the topic:

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_112.html
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_355a.html

Stranger

4

Does something hold the candy while it’s being sprayed? The coating shows no signs of being held or uneven coating, whatsoever.

5

Liquid oxygen cooled superconducting magnets allow them to levitate as the coating is sprayed on.

6

I checked around and it seems I misremembered. It looks like they are tumbled in a drum and fed onto a belt where they get their M’s stamped.

7

The chocolate is made in little molds, then they get tumbled around in a drum while the candy is sprayed on :]

8

Tumbled without landing marks, scrapes, or cracks? Amazing.

9

“Landing marks?” They don’t use a luggage tester; it’s a tumbler that keeps all the pieces rotating, thus ensuring an even coating of the candy shell (which is in a liquid form that is gradually poured over the rotating candies; as each layer dries, more is poured on until the desired shell thickness is reached).

The process for manufacturing Jelly Bellies is similar. Try this link; click on “How everyday things are made,” then click “Jelly Beans” on the sidebar.