Walmart eliminating synthetic dyes from its private-label food brands

In a sweeping change for the nation’s largest retailer, Walmart U.S. will eliminate synthetic dyes along with 30 ingredients from its private food labels. 

In-house brands Great Value, Marketside, Freshness Guaranteed and Bettergoods will undergo what is one of the largest retail brand overhauls ever and the first for a major retailer, according to the company. 

“Our customers have told us they want products made with simpler, more familiar ingredients and we’ve listened,” said Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner. 

The revamp is across multiple categories online and at the retailer’s more than 4,500 stores nationwide. 

Bakery items such as Marketside cakes will be reformulated.  

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Multiple Great Value cereals will be reformulated, as will snacks, sports drinks and dressings. 

The move comes amid the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is spearheading a ban on artificial dyes. 

When asked whether MAHA played a role in the move, the company told FOX Business this is something customers have been looking for over the past few years.

A recent shopper survey noted 54% check ingredient labels and 62% want more transparency. Additionally, natural ingredients have become more available over the years as customers seek cleaner options.

While this tends to be a higher price point, Walmart tells FOX Business that due to scale, the retailer is well positioned to migrate any potential price hikes.  

The company doesn’t disclose what percentage of revenue private-label food brands account for, but said that the Great Value brand is in 9 out of 10 American households.

Walmart expects the changes to roll out over the next few months with a full competition by January 2027.

The artificial dyes are commonly known as FD&C colors, and labeled as such on packages, because the color additive is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in food, drugs, and cosmetics and are subject to a strict system of approval under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act).

Other major food manufacturers have announced plans to cut dyes, including General Mills, which announced cereals and K-12 school foods will be tweaked first. Conagra will do the same with K-12 school foods, along with frozen foods including Bird’s Eye. 

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Kraft Heinz plans to remove dyes from its portfolio by 2027. Smucker’s said its move will affect its sugar-free fruit spreads and ice cream toppings as well as certain products from its Hostess brand portfolio. The company also said it’s working with its distribution partners to no longer sell products with FD&C colors to K-12 schools by the 2026 – 2027 school year.

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Walmart shares are up over 14% this year, slightly ahead of the S&P 500. 

FOX Business’ Daniella Genovese contributed to this report.