Walmart will be removing synthetic dyes and more than 30 other ingredients, including certain preservatives, artificial sweeteners and fat substitutes, from its private label brand foods.
“The change, which includes all Walmart U.S. food private brands such as Great Value, Marketside, Freshness Guaranteed and bettergoods, is in line with evolving customer preferences and in support of a more transparent food system,” the big box retailer said.
According to NBC News, Walmart has set a full implementation deadline of January 2027. “The shift to natural dyes will mean reformulating and testing more than 1,000 products, though Walmart says 90% of its store-brand food items are already free of artificial colors,” NBC reported.
Walmart reportedly said the shift to natural food dyes has been in the works for years. Food scientists at Walmart are working to make sure that foods reformulated with natural dyes keep the same taste and texture they previously had, while matching colors as closely as possible. Some products may take on more subdued shades, while others may lose their color completely, NBC wrote.
“This is a direct response to what the customer is telling us,” said Scott Morris, senior vice president of Walmart’s private food brands. “They’re looking for simpler ingredients, simpler nutrition panels.”
Walmart’s decision comes after the FDA in April announced “a series of new measures to phase out all petroleum-based synthetic dyes from the nation’s food supply.”
Other brands such as Kraft Heinz, PepsiCo, Conagra Brands and more have also followed suit and are phasing out synthetic dyes in their own products.