Walmart to eliminate artificial dyes from its private label products

Walmart will eliminate synthetic dyes from its private-label products. The retailer announced Wednesday that it will also remove 30 ingredients, including preservatives, artificial sweeteners and fat substitutes, from more than 1,000 items ranging from snacks and energy drinks to baked goods and dressings.

"Our customers have told us that they want products made with simpler, more familiar ingredients — and we’ve listened," Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner said. The company cited proprietary studies revealing that its shoppers "are increasingly more interested in what’s in their food, with sixty-two percent of customers saying they want more transparency and fifty-four percent saying they review food ingredients."

As alternatives to synthetic dyes, the company is turning to beets, turmeric, black carrots, spinach and hibiscus, a spokesman told Reuters. He said, for example, that Great Value’s gelatin products will use beta-carotene, a pigment found in fruits and vegetables, for their orange color, while the cherry shade will be replaced with a blend of carrot, radish, hibiscus, blueberry and spirulina.

The company said the changes will start appearing on shelves in the coming months and that the process will be completed by January 2027 at the latest. It has six private-label brands, including Great Value, Marketside, Freshness Guaranteed and bettergoods.

MAHA welcomes the announcement

The Department of Health (HHS) hailed the announcement as a "Huge MAHA Win [Make America Healthy Again or Let's Make America Healthy Again]." Under the leadership of Robert F Kennedy Jr., the department launched a campaign urging major manufacturers to stop using synthetic dyes.

Companies such as PepsiCo, Campbell's, Kraft Heinz and organizations such as the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) have joined the initiative. In recent days, Kennedy Jr. celebrated the addition of Utz Brands and Mondelez, calling on more companies to follow suit: "I urge more companies to step up, follow this example, and help Make America Healthy Again."

In April, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that several dyes would be banned by 2027. In addition, HHS formally requested that companies in the industry phase out at least six petroleum-based synthetic dyes.

In announcing the initiative, the health secretary argued that the dyes are harmful to health, provide no nutritional value, and are primarily found in products aimed at children, designed to attract them with bright colors. They appear in foods such as cereals, candies, soft drinks, pickles, smoked salmon, and dressings.