Walmart announced Wednesday that it would remove synthetic dyes and 30 other ingredients, including artificial sweeteners and preservatives, from its private-label food brands by 2027.
The retailer said the change would affect around 1,000 products, including salty snacks, baked goods, power drinks, salad dressings and frosting. Customers can expected to see some of the reformulated products on shelves in the coming months. Walmart told the Associated Press that the changes primarily affect Great Value, the company's largest private-label food brand.
Walmart, which serves over 250 million customers a week globally, billed the change as a means to address changing consumer preferences. "Our customers have told us that they want products made with simpler, more familiar ingredients — and we've listened," Walmart U.S. CEO John Furner said in a statement.
The company also said the decision is in line with its goal to be more transparent around what goes into its private food brands, which include Great Value, Marketside, Freshness Guaranteed and Bettergoods.
