Walmart announced Thursday that it is banning a list of 11 synthetic dyes and many other ingredients from Walmart-branded foods and beverages. File Photo by James Atoa/UPI | License Photo
Walmart announced Thursday that it is banning a list of synthetic dyes and other ingredients from Walmart-branded foods and beverages.
The brands include Great Value, Marketside, Freshness Guaranteed and bettergoods. The ingredients will be removed by January 2027, the company said.
“Our customers have told us that they want products made with simpler, more familiar ingredients — and we’ve listened,” said John Furner, president and 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.”
The dyes being removed are: blue dyes No. 1 and 2; green dye No. 3; red dyes No. 3, 4 and 40; yellow dyes No. 5 and 6; citrus red dye; orange B dye; and canthaxanthin. The list of other ingredients is long, but includes many substances that are not commonly used in the United States.
Critics say artificial dyes cause negative effects on animal and human health, including potentially an increased risk of cancer and neurobehavioral issues.
California has banned red dye No. 3 statewide and six other common dyes in school foods.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned red dye No. 3 in January, which will go into effect for food on Jan. 15, 2027, and for drugs on Jan. 18. The agency has since asked food companies to eliminate the dye sooner.
“While this move is one of the largest private brand reformulations in retail history, it isn’t the first time Walmart has removed ingredients customers don’t want. Today, about 90% of Walmart U.S. food private brand products are free from synthetic dyes,” a press release said.
In July, the International Dairy Foods Association announced that dozens of ice cream companies have agreed to remove red No. 3 and No. 40; green No. 3; blue No. 1 and 2; and yellow No. 5 and 6, from their frozen dairy products by 2028.
In April, the FDA announced it was planning to revoke authorization for eight different dyes by the end of 2026.
“These poisonous compounds offer no nutritional benefit and pose real, measurable dangers to our children’s health and development,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement. “That era is coming to an end.”
