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The US and international formulas are not the same— here's exactly what changed and why.
Mars USA
| Ingredient | 🇺🇸 US Version | 🌍 International | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tbhq | ✅ Not present | ✅ Not present | Banned Overseas |
| High Fructose Corn Syrup | ✅ Not present | ✅ Not present | Banned Overseas |
The same company makes both versions — but they use different formulas depending on where the product is sold. In the EU, UK, and Canada, regulations require either banning certain additives outright or mandating warning labels (e.g., "may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children" for certain synthetic dyes).
Rather than print warning labels, most manufacturers reformulate the product for international markets — using natural colorants like paprika extract, beetroot concentrate, or spirulina instead of petroleum-derived synthetic dyes.
The US FDA has a different standard: it deems additives "Generally Recognized as Safe" (GRAS) based on older safety data, while EFSA (the European Food Safety Authority) applies stricter precautionary principles and requires manufacturers to prove safety rather than assume it.
US Milky Way contains TBHQ (synthetic preservative banned in Europe) and HFCS, while the EU version uses only natural sugars and no synthetic antioxidant preservatives. Additionally, the EU and US Milky Way bars are actually different products — the EU Milky Way is a nougat-only bar similar to the US 3 Musketeers, while the US Milky Way has caramel. This naming divergence compounds the formulation differences, meaning US and EU consumers eating 'Milky Way' are consuming completely different products.
Find clean brands without these ingredients — organized by category.