Walmart Announces Plan to Remove Synthetic Dyes and 30 Additional Ingredients From its Private Label—Here's What to Know
As part of a nationwide push to remove or reduce processed foods and artificial ingredients from the food supply, Walmart has announced it will remove synthetic dyes and 30 other ingredients from its private label products. This includes their Great Value, Marketside, Freshness Guaranteed and bettergoods lines and will span over the next year and a few months, concluding the removal by January 2027.
Walmart states it is making this change as a result of customer desire, with a survey they conducted concluding that 62% of customers want more transparency related to what's in their food and 54% saying they review food labels as part of their decision making process when purchasing groceries.
Walmart states they have already been listening to customers, which is why they created their bettergoods line of products, an affordable, plant-based and “chef crafted” product line with fewer ingredients than its traditional counterparts.
The retail giant has also stated they’ve already started the process of removing synthetic dyes in their private label items, and about 90% of their items are already free of them. Some retailers, like Aldi, are already ahead of the game in this instance, as they’ve never included synthetic dyes in their store brand items.
Walmart Posts Plans to Remove Synthetic Dyes and 30 Other Ingredients From Private Label Products
Per Walmart’s press release, the following items will be removed from their private label products.
Food dyes:
- 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
Other Ingredients:
- 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 (aka Yellow Prussiate of Soda)
- Sucroglycerides
- Talc
Related: Tyson Foods to Remove This Controversial Ingredient From Products by End of 2025
Walmart reports they are working with private suppliers to reformulate and swap out ingredients and will start rolling out the changes within the coming months. “Customers told us they want simpler, more familiar ingredients, and this change helps create a more transparent food system”, stated Walmart.
We’re interested to see what types of ingredients their product development and food science teams come up with instead of these synthetic dyes, preservatives and fat substitutes and how it may impact consumers purchasing habits.
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