Walmart announces plan to eliminate synthetic food dyes from private label brands by 2027

Walmart announced Wednesday that as of January 2027, there will no longer be synthetic dyes in its food products carried under private-label brands. 

It also pledged to eliminate 30 other ingredients, including artificial sweeteners, fat substitutes and certain preservatives, according to NBC News. While the company claims that 90% of the food items it sells are currently free of artificial colors, it says there are more than 1,000 products that will require reformulating and testing. 

“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.”

The brands involved include Bettergoods, Marketside, and Great Value, the nation’s largest consumer packaged goods brand, according to the outlet.

Other companies that have voluntarily said they too have plans to remove synthetic dyes from food products include General Mills, Kraft Heinz and PepsiCo. 

This all comes after pressure coming from the Trump administration, under the leadership of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. They have urged food makers to end the use of artificial colors by the end of 2027.