Walmart on Oct. 1 said it is going to eliminate synthetic dyes and some other artificial additives from products it sells under its own brands, including Great Value.
The Arkansas-based company said that it will remove synthetic dyes, including Red 3 and Orange B, from all of its private-branded items.
The Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration announced earlier in the year a ban on Orange B and Red No. 2, citing research that has linked them to increased hyperactivity in children. Officials said they would work with companies to reformulate products so they would no longer contain other dyes that are still authorized.
Since then, numerous companies have pledged to stop using artificial colors in some or all of their products, including Conagra and General Mills.
Walmart pointed to a survey it recently conducted, which found that many customers want more transparency surrounding food ingredients.
“Our customers have told us that they want products made with simpler, more familiar ingredients—and we’ve listened,” John Furner, president and CEO of Walmart U.S., said 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 has about 5,200 stores in the United States, including Sam’s Club locations. It reported an increase in sales in the second quarter of 2025.
Sam’s Club said over the summer that its brand, Member’s Mark, would stop containing artificial colors and certain other ingredients, such as the artificial sweetener aspartame, by the end of 2025.
Walmart’s private brands include Great Value, Marketside, Freshness Guaranteed, and Bettergoods. It launched Bettergoods in 2024, focusing on plant-based products and items listed as being “made without” certain ingredients.
On Wednesday, Walmart also said it will be removing other ingredients from its brands, including titanium dioxide, a chemical; methylparaben, a common preservative; and synthetic trans fatty acid.
Some studies have identified possible issues with the additives. A 2022 review, for instance, said possible adverse outcomes of titanium dioxide exposure included cancer and damage to the heart.
The Make America Healthy Again Commission, chaired by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., took aim at titanium dioxide among other additives, describing it as an additive “of potential concern” and that it “may cause cellular and DNA damage.”
In a strategy document released in September, the commission said the FDA “will continue to advance and implement policies to limit or prohibit the use of petroleum-based food dyes.”
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