The Science Behind Jet-Puffed’s Color-Changing Marshmallows Revealed

An Investigative Culinary Adventure

It’s December and, of course, it’s only now that I’ve stumbled across a bag of Jet-Puffed Color Changer marshmallows, a creation that I would’ve been ecstatic to find in the warmer summer months.

These sugary confections that promise to transform from blue and pink to orange and green when roasted over a campfire absolutely delights the inner child in me.

However, the more mature part of me (who has several degrees in Food Science) knew better than to think this trick was magic. With my curiosity fully piqued and my Food Scientist hat on, I began investigating the secret behind this mesmerizing marshmallow.

And the funny thing is, I thought about this marshmallow a lot when really the color shift comes down to some basics we all learned in preschool.

Ingredient Sleuthing

I was in school until I was nearly thirty so I’ve taken more exams than any one person should. Luckily, many of these tests taught me how to break down a food’s ingredient statement for clues.

This was the first place my investigation took me.