Walmart Plans Remove Synthetic Dyes Artificial Ingredients From Private Brands By 2027

Walmart will remove synthetic food dyes and about 30 other additives — including certain preservatives, artificial sweeteners, fat substitutes and chemicals like titanium dioxide, azodicarbonamide, nitrates/nitrites, bisulfites and phthalates — from its U.S. private‑label food lines (Great Value, Marketside, Freshness Guaranteed and bettergoods) by January 2027, impacting roughly 1,000 products. The company says the decision responds to customer demand for simpler, more transparent ingredient lists (surveys show strong interest) and that about 90% of its private‑brand foods are already dye‑free, with reformulated items rolling out in the coming months while Walmart works with suppliers to keep prices in check. Walmart’s announcement follows and amplifies recent industry and regulatory pressure — including an FDA initiative pushed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Trump administration to phase out FD&C dyes — and joins similar pledges from major food makers like Kraft Heinz, General Mills, Nestlé and others. Analysts and advocates say Walmart’s scale will likely push suppliers and competitors to follow, reshaping parts of the U.S. food supply chain. Food‑safety experts caution that some ingredients on Walmart’s removal list are already banned or rarely used and that the FDA has not established a causal link between artificial dyes and behavioral issues in children, even as cited studies and public concern drive reformulations.