Sign of the apocalypse?

Recently, every pack of peanut M&Ms I get has at least three or four PEANUT-less candies! In the past there has been the occassional missing peanut, odd, but not enough to cause concern. Well, now I am concerned! Dominicks had them on sale, buy 3 get 3 free, so I did. And each bag had more than a few of these peanut orphans, no offense to orphans intended. I have noticed this before too when I have just bought a single pack. And it is not just here in the Chicagoland area. I noticed this over the summer in Syracuse, NY!

The candies look as thought there is a peanut inside, but when you bite it, nope, all chocolate. Is M&M trying to save some money? Is someone asleep at the peanut x-ray quality control station at M&M?