Walmart U.S. announced it will remove synthetic dyes and 30 other ingredients, including preservatives, artificial sweeteners, and fat substitutes, from its private brand foods. The move aligns with the FDA’s push to phase out petroleum-based dyes and shift the industry toward natural alternatives, a win for the MAHA initiative led by HHS Secretary RFK Jr.
The reformulation affects all Walmart U.S. private brands, including Great Value, Marketside, Freshness Guaranteed, and bettergoods.
The reformulation represents one of the largest private brand overhauls in retail history. Walmart is collaborating with suppliers to adjust recipes and source alternative ingredients while maintaining the taste customers expect. Reformulated products will begin appearing over the coming months, with full implementation expected by January 2027.
Synthetic Dyes Being Removed
Walmart U.S. will remove the following 11 synthetic dyes from all private brand foods:
- FD&C Blue 1
- FD&C Blue 2
- FD&C Green 3
- FD&C Red 3
- FD&C Red 4
- FD&C Red 40
- FD&C Yellow 5
- FD&C Yellow 6
- FD&C Citrus Red
- FD&C Orange B
- Canthaxanthin
Additional Ingredients Being Removed
Along with dyes, Walmart will eliminate these 30 ingredients from private brand foods:
- Titanium Dioxide
- Azodicarbonamide
- Dicotyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate (DSS)
- Sucrose Polyester
- Toluene
- Anisole
- Lye
- Morpholine
- Propylene oxide
- Sodium Stearyl Fumarate
- Stearyl tartrate
- Ficin
- Synthetic trans fatty acid
- Butylparaben
- Lactylated Esters of Mon & Diglycerides (OLEON)
- Methylparaben
- Propylparaben
- Calcium Bromate
- Potassium Bromate
- Bromated flour
- Neotame
- Advantame
- Phthalates
- Potassium Bisulfite
- Potassium Nitrate
- Potassium Nitrite
- Simplesse
- Sodium Ferrocyanide (Yellow Prussiate of Soda)
- Sucroglycerides
- Talc
