# How are M&M's made? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 17, 2005, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-m-ms-made/322144 "2005-09-17T19:49:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![neisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4bbf92/32.png) [@neisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neisha)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-m-ms-made/322144/1 "2005-09-17T19:49:08Z")
They are so perfectly round and coated…so how do they do it? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-m-ms-made/322144/2 "2005-09-17T20:40:37Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-m-ms-made/322144/3 "2005-09-17T20:50:25Z")
A couple of The Master’s columns on the topic: [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3\_112.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_112.html) [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1\_355a.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_355a.html) Stranger ---
**Author:** ![neisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4bbf92/32.png) [@neisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neisha)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-m-ms-made/322144/4 "2005-09-17T21:34:26Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > 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. Does something hold the candy while it’s being sprayed? The coating shows no signs of being held or uneven coating, whatsoever. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-m-ms-made/322144/5 "2005-09-17T22:55:25Z")
Liquid oxygen cooled superconducting magnets allow them to levitate as the coating is sprayed on. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2005, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-m-ms-made/322144/6 "2005-09-17T23:09:23Z")
> [@neisha](#): > > Does something hold the candy while it’s being sprayed? The coating shows no signs of being held or uneven coating, whatsoever. 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. ---
**Author:** ![FlyingRamenMonster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@FlyingRamenMonster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlyingRamenMonster)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-m-ms-made/322144/7 "2005-09-18T00:55:44Z")
The chocolate is made in little molds, then they get tumbled around in a drum while the candy is sprayed on :] ---
**Author:** ![neisha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/4bbf92/32.png) [@neisha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neisha)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-m-ms-made/322144/8 "2005-09-18T01:20:39Z")
> [@csharpmajor](#): > > The chocolate is made in little molds, then they get tumbled around in a drum while the candy is sprayed on :] Tumbled without landing marks, scrapes, or cracks? Amazing. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2005, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-are-m-ms-made/322144/9 "2005-09-18T04:20:25Z")
“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](http://manufacturing.stanford.edu/); click on “How everyday things are made,” then click “Jelly Beans” on the sidebar.