Walmart announced on Wednesday that it intends to phase out artificial food dyes and 30 other ingredients, including certain preservatives, artificial sweeteners and fat substitutes, from its company brands sold in the U.S. by January 2027. The plan by America’s largest retailer involves roughly 1,000 products, including snacks, bakery items, soft drinks, dressings and dessert toppings.
The company said the move is “in line with evolving customer preferences and in support of a more transparent food system.”
Several of the ingredients listed by Walmart already face potential bans, and some have been out of the U.S. food supply chain for years.
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Others included in the phase-out were targeted by the Trump administration but reportedly have no known adverse effects. Walmart said it will eliminate 11 synthetic dyes over the coming months, including Red No. 4, Red No. 3, Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B, which have either been banned, faced proposed bans or haven’t been used in U.S. foods in years, according to the AP.
Food policy analysts both skeptical and optimistic
Some food policy analysts also expressed skepticism over whether Walmart will follow through on its pledge.
“… [W]ith any voluntary effort, it is very easy for Walmart to make bold promises, but it’s a lot harder for them to follow through,” Peter Lurie, president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, said in a statement. “Many companies, including Walmart, have previously made and then broken promises similar to this, so until we see reformulated products on store shelves, this is all just talk.”
Other food policy officials say it’s a step in the right direction.
Brian Ronholm, who works on food policy for the advocacy branch of Consumer Reports, said the announcement is a “sweeping declaration and a considerable response to consumer demand and sentiment” for fewer artificial ingredients in food.
“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 added in his statement.
Brands impacted
Walmart says the changes will impact many of its products, from Great Value, Marketside and Freshness Guaranteed brands, to its Bettergoods items, to a lesser extent. The retailer said it will test out different natural ingredients for dyes as it considers consumer tastes and marketability.
Similar announcements
The move follows similar announcements by companies such as Kraft Heinz, Nestlé and Conagra, which have promised to remove petroleum-based artificial dyes in the years to come.
As previously reported by Straight Arrow News, West Virginia now bans certain dyes in school nutrition programs and will forbid their sale in the state by 2028.
It also follows a push from Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Food and Drug Administration to force food producers to eliminate synthetic dyes by the end of 2027.
