Walmart, the nation’s largest grocer, has announced a sweeping overhaul of its private-label food products, pledging to eliminate synthetic dyes and 30 other ingredients—including artificial sweeteners, fat substitutes, and several preservatives—by January 2027. The decision, revealed on October 1, 2025, is set to impact more than 1,000 products across its Great Value, Marketside, Freshness Guaranteed, and bettergoods brands, and marks a major shift in how the retail giant approaches food safety and transparency.
The move comes in response to mounting consumer demand for simpler, more familiar ingredients. According to Walmart, a recent customer survey found that 62% of shoppers wanted more transparency in food labeling, while 54% called for a comprehensive review of food ingredients. “Our customers have told us that they want products made with simpler, more familiar ingredients—and we’ve listened,” said John Furner, CEO of Walmart U.S., in a statement. “By eliminating synthetic dyes and other ingredients, we’re reinforcing our promise to deliver affordable food that families can feel good about.”
Walmart’s initiative is no small feat. The company serves over 250 million customers each week worldwide, and its private-label products are a staple in millions of American households. The reformulation will affect a broad array of items, from salty snacks and baked goods to salad dressings, power drinks, and frostings. Some of the most visible changes will be in products like Great Value fruit cereals, which will lose their vibrant hues, and sports drink mixes, which will now appear clear—akin to Propel water—rather than the familiar blues, reds, or oranges. Despite these cosmetic differences, Walmart insists that taste and quality will remain unchanged.
The list of ingredients being removed is extensive. Among the 11 synthetic dyes to be phased out are blue dyes No. 1 and No. 2, green dye No. 3, red dyes No. 3, No. 4, and No. 40, yellow dyes No. 5 and No. 6, citrus red dye, orange B dye, and canthaxanthin. Most of these are petroleum-based, with the exception of canthaxanthin and orange B dye. In addition, Walmart will eliminate preservatives such as potassium nitrate, potassium nitrite, potassium bisulfite, butylparaben, and propylparaben; artificial sweeteners like advantame and neotame; and fat substitutes including synthetic trans fatty acid and sucrose polyester. Phthalates, chemicals used to make plastics flexible and found in some food packaging, are also on the chopping block.
Many of these additives have come under increased scrutiny from both state and federal authorities. California, for instance, banned red dye No. 3 statewide in October 2023 and later prohibited six other dyes from school foods. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) followed suit, banning red dye No. 3 effective January 15, 2027, for food products and January 18, 2028, for drugs. The FDA has since encouraged food companies to accelerate the removal of such dyes, while states like West Virginia have passed sweeping laws banning a host of artificial colors and preservatives. These regulatory shifts have pushed the entire food industry to reconsider the use of synthetic additives.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has played a prominent role in this movement with his "Make America Healthy Again" campaign. Under his direction, the FDA is requiring food manufacturers to phase out artificial colors by the end of 2027. Walmart’s announcement aligns closely with these federal efforts, as well as with similar pledges from other major food companies. Kraft Heinz, General Mills, Kellogg, Campbell’s, PepsiCo, and Utz have all committed to removing artificial dyes and additives from their products by 2027. According to Dr. Marion Nestle, Paulette Goddard Professor Emerita of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health at New York University, "Walmart accounts for 25% to 30% of all grocery sales in the United States and anything it does reverberates throughout the entire industry. If it is removing the artificial colors from its house brands, other retailers … will have to follow suit."
Walmart’s decision is also a response to a yearslong crackdown on food additives that began with state lawmakers and has gained momentum with federal backing. Dr. Jennifer Pomeranz, associate professor of public health policy and management at New York University, noted, “The food companies are not going to create ‘better’ products for one state—especially California, which has one of the biggest economies in the world—or for several states, so they are forced to change the ingredients in their food nationally.”
The retailer’s commitment is not without challenges. Reformulating and testing over 1,000 products is a massive undertaking, and replicating certain colors naturally has proven difficult. Sam’s Club, a Walmart subsidiary, reported that red and yellow dyes used in bakery frosting were among the hardest to replicate using natural alternatives, but the company achieved this milestone earlier in 2025. Walmart has also acknowledged that these changes could result in slight price increases for some items, though it remains committed to keeping prices as low as possible.
Walmart says that about 90% of its U.S. private-brand food products are already free of synthetic dyes, thanks in part to previous initiatives such as the launch of its bettergoods brand and the introduction of the "Great For You" icon in 2012, which highlights products meeting specific nutritional standards. Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, called Walmart’s action “a bold declaration and response to consumer sentiment that has become increasingly wary of the long list of chemicals found in so many processed foods.” He added, “Walmart’s decision shows that food companies don’t have to wait for the FDA’s regulatory process to catch up with the science.”
Industry experts agree that Walmart’s move could have far-reaching effects. As the largest grocer in the U.S., its decision is likely to push competitors to adopt similar standards, potentially transforming the food landscape for millions of Americans. While some of the ingredients on Walmart’s removal list are already banned, rarely used, or have not been part of the U.S. food supply for decades, others have been targeted for review and possible elimination due to concerns about their impact on health. Studies have linked consumption of ultraprocessed foods—often laden with synthetic additives—to a range of health problems, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, and even neurobehavioral issues.
For now, customers will begin seeing reformulated products on Walmart shelves in the coming months, with the full transition expected by 2027. The company emphasizes that reading ingredient lists remains the best way for consumers to avoid unwanted additives as the industry continues to evolve. As Brian Ronholm put it, “As the leading grocer in the U.S., this move will have a significant impact on the market and the safety of the food that so many Americans purchase for their families.”
Walmart’s sweeping ingredient overhaul, spurred by consumer demand and regulatory action, is set to reshape how Americans shop for groceries—one ingredient at a time.
