Walmart To Remove Synthetic Dyes & Artificial Ingredients From Its Store Brands

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Walmart U.S. announced it is moving to eliminate synthetic dyes and the use of an additional 30 ingredients like artificial sweeteners and fat substitutes from its private brand food products.

Brands such as Great Value, Marketside, and Freshness Guaranteed are affected by this move. The company credits evolving customer preferences for the shift while providing a more transparent food system.

“Our customers have told us that they want products made with simpler, more familiar ingredients — and we’ve listened," said John Furner, President and CEO of Walmart. "By eliminating synthetic dyes and other ingredients, we’re reinforcing our promise to deliver affordable food that families can feel good about.”

According to a new survey, Walmart customers 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.

This trend is, in part, why the retailer launched bettergoods, a chef-inspired line of plant-based and "made without" items, with 70% of them under $5.

While this move is one of the largest private brand reformulations in retail history, it isn’t the first time Walmart has removed ingredients customers don’t want. Today, about 90% of Walmart U.S. food private brand products are free from synthetic dyes.

See what's being removed.

“This commitment demonstrates how Walmart is responding to changing customer preferences, while also setting the standard for providing exceptional quality and innovation at an outstanding value,” said Furner.

Walmart is working with suppliers to adjust formulations and source alternative ingredients. Customers will begin to see the changed products rolling out over the next few months, with plans to wrap up by January 2027 at the latest.