Walmart Announces Major MAHA Initiative

Walmart announced it will remove 11 synthetic dyes and 30 additional ingredients, including preservatives, substitutes, and sweeteners, from its private food brands by January 2027.

The product changes are reportedly scheduled to begin in the coming months, including brands such as Great Value and Marketside.

“Walmart private brand foods are getting even better,” Walmart stated.

“We’re removing synthetic dyes and 30 other ingredients from all Walmart private brand food items – putting our customers at the heart of every bite,” it added.

Walmart private brand foods are getting even better.

We’re removing synthetic dyes and 30 other ingredients from all Walmart private brand food items – putting our customers at the heart of every bite. Read more: https://t.co/HDDtjyTrIJ pic.twitter.com/vYVkQ2MFWP

— Walmart News (@WalmartNews) October 1, 2025

More from USA TODAY:

The announcement comes after U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in April that eight artificial dyes will be “phased out” of medications and the nation’s food supply by the end of 2026. These dyes are FD&C Blue Nos. 1 and 2, FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red No. 40 and FD&C Yellow Nos. 5 and 6.

Walmart joins a list of other brands promising to remove synthetic dyes from their products within the upcoming year, including General Mills, Kraft Heinz, Hershey’s, PepsiCo, Conagra Brands (Duncan Hines and Birds Eye), Nestle USA and McCormick & Co.

Walmart will remove the following 11 synthetic dyes from its private brand products:

• 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

“Our customers have told us that they want products made with simpler, more familiar ingredients — and we’ve listened. By eliminating synthetic dyes and other ingredients, we’re reinforcing our promise to deliver affordable food that families can feel good about,” Walmart President and CEO John Furner said.

Yahoo Finance noted:

As the company gains market share across income cohorts, Furner told investors on a recent earnings call that bettergoods was seeing a strong response from high-income shoppers. It launched the brand in 2024 with a focus on higher-quality ingredients, marking its first private-label launch in 20 years.

In early June, Walmart’s wholesale business, Sam’s Club, shared that 96% of food from its private label, Member’s Mark, was made without artificial colors, aspartame, or high-fructose corn syrup, and it announced plans to eliminate these ingredients completely by year-end.