Walmart will remove synthetic dyes from its private-label foods in the United States, including the Great Value and Bettergoods brands, by January 2027.
The big box retailer’s decision, announced on Wednesday, is the latest in a slew made by several other companies amid pressure from President Donald Trump’s administration to drop dyes from food products.
Major packaged food makers, including PepsiCo, Campbell’s and Conagra Brands, have made similar announcements in recent months in response to the administration’s Make America Healthy Again initiative.
Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has cracked down on ultra-processed food and chemical additives, saying they have led to a national crisis of childhood obesity, diabetes, cancer, mental health disorders, allergies and neurodevelopmental conditions like autism.
Walmart also plans to eliminate more than 30 other ingredients such as preservatives, artificial sweeteners and fat substitutes from its private-label assortment.
The company said the move reflected consumer demand for simpler, more transparent ingredients, adding that 90 percent of its private-brand foods are currently free of synthetic dyes.
“Our customers have told us that they want products made with simpler, more familiar ingredients – and we’ve listened,” Walmart US President John Furner said.
Several of the ingredients on Walmart’s removal list, however, already are banned, are not widely used or have not been used in the US food supply for decades. Others were included despite no known problems or have been targeted by the Trump administration for review and possible elimination as an approved food additive, according to food safety experts.
The retailer is working with private-brand suppliers to adjust formulations and source alternative ingredients. Reformulated products from canned and frozen foods to cereals and salads will begin rolling out in the coming months, Walmart said.
Walmart’s private-label lineup is anchored by its largest brand, Great Value, alongside other store brands such as Marketside, Freshness Guaranteed and the premium Bettergoods, which have been a big draw among bargain-hunting Americans.
Its membership chain Sam’s Club said in June that it would remove artificial colours, aspartame and other ingredients from its Member’s Mark brand by the end of the year.
On Wall Street, Walmart’s stock tumbled. As of noon in New York (16:00 GMT), it was down by more than 1.9 percent.
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