Walmart to eliminate synthetic food dyes from store brands

Big changes are coming to the food aisles of America’s largest retailer.

Big changes are coming to the food aisles of America’s largest retailer.

Walmart announced Wednesday it will eliminate synthetic dyes from all its private-label brand food products. Those brands include Marketside, Bettergoods and Great Value, which is the nation’s largest consumer packaged goods brand, found in 90% of households, according to NielsenIQ.

The retailer has set a full implementation deadline of January 2027. It also pledged to eliminate 30 other ingredients, including certain preservatives, artificial sweeteners and fat substitutes.

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. The company said the move reflects changing customer preferences.

“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.”