Walmart says it's removing artificial dyes from store brands

Walmart said last week that it plans to remove synthetic food dyes and 30 other ingredients, including some preservatives, artificial sweeteners and fat substitutes, from its store brands sold in the United States by January 2027.

- BY JONEL ALECCIA

THE RETAILER also plans to remove preservatives and other ingredients, some of which are already banned.

(TED SHAFFREY Associated Press)

The move announced Wednesday by the the nation's largest retailer amounts to an acknowledgment that American consumers and the U.S. government under President Trump are paying attention to what goes into packaged foods.

Walmart said its goal would affect about 1,000 products, including salty snacks, baked goods, power drinks, salad dressings and frosting.

Several of the ingredients on Walmart’s removal list, however, already are banned, not widely used or have not been used in the U.S. food supply for decades. Others were included despite no known problems or have been targeted by the Trump administration for review and possible elimination as an approved food additive, according to food safety experts.

Still, the action represents a “sweeping declaration and a considerable response to consumer demand and sentiment” for fewer additives in food, said Brian Ronholm, director of food policy for the advocacy arm of Consumer Reports.

“This is a good and well-thought-out list and represents a very positive step, especially considering the reach their private label brands have in U.S. households,” Ronholm said in a statement.

Walmart said the 14-month reformulation plan primarily would involve its largest private-label food brand, Great Value. Customers also can expect changes in Walmart’s Marketside and Freshness Guaranteed lines of prepared foods, and to some extent in its premium label Bettergoods products, the company said.

In recent months, major food companies such as Kraft Heinz, Nestle and Conagra Brands have pledged to eliminate petroleum-based synthetic dyes in coming years. Walmart took its news a step further by identifying other kinds of food additives in its phaseout timeline.