The retailer has set a full implementation deadline of January 2027. It also pledged to eliminate 30 other ingredients, including certain preservatives, artificial sweeteners and fat substitutes. <\/p>\n
The shift to natural dyes will mean reformulating and testing more than 1,000 products, though Walmart says 90% of its store-brand food items are already free of artificial colors. The company said the move reflects changing customer preferences. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a direct response to what the customer is telling us,\u201d said Scott Morris, senior vice president of Walmart\u2019s private food brands. \u201cThey\u2019re looking for simpler ingredients, simpler nutrition panels.\u201d <\/p>\n
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Food and Drug Administration have been pushing food makers to phase out artificial colors by the end of 2027<\/a>. So far, the agency has leaned on voluntary commitments from companies rather than imposing a blanket regulatory ban. Companies including PepsiCo<\/a>, Kraft Heinz<\/a> and General Mills<\/a> have announced similar plans to remove synthetic dyes from food products. <\/p>\n Walmart said the shift to natural food dyes has been in the works for years, but the timing of the announcement reflects current industry trends. \u201cThe customer is louder than they ever were, and we felt like the industry was ready for us to move to scale,\u201d Morris explained. <\/p>\n Will the change drive up prices, though? Morris acknowledged \u201cit\u2019s an item-by-item dynamic,\u201d but emphasized Walmart\u2019s commitment to low prices. \u201cOur history is: We\u2019ve done an outstanding job of shielding our customers from these moves,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Food scientists at Walmart are working to ensure that foods reformulated with natural dyes keep the same taste and texture, while matching colors as closely as possible. Some products may take on more subdued shades, while others may lose their color completely. <\/p>\n Walmart gave NBC News exclusive access to its Culinary Innovation Center in Bentonville, Arkansas, where product developers showcased some of their reformulated products compared with the old versions. <\/p>\n In one demo, naturally colored cupcake frosting was nearly indistinguishable from the original artificially dyed versions. Katie Miles, Walmart product developer and pastry chef, explained that the bright colors were achieved by using ingredients like spirulina, beets and other root vegetables. It was a three-year effort, she noted, with challenges that included masking the earthy flavor of the vegetables and getting the right pH balance for shelf stability. <\/p>\n The reformulated version of Great Value Fruit Spins, the brand\u2019s colorful ring-shaped cereal, was noticeably less vibrant. Prabhat Kumar, Walmart director of product development, said extensively processed foods like cereal pose a challenge because processing can distort the natural colors. \u201cBlue, green and purples are not as vibrant,\u201d Kumar noted, but consumers will get the same flavor and texture. The cereal still needs to undergo consumer testing to gauge whether shoppers accept the new look before Walmart puts it on shelves. <\/p>\n Walmart\u2019s private-label sports drinks are going dye-free, leaving the liquid a cloudy white instead of the bright blue of its artificially colored version. When it comes to customers shopping for sports drinks, \u201ccolor drives the decision,\u201d Walmart product developer Andie Garcia said, but \u201cwe could not get this blue in a natural color.\u201d Instead, her team decided to wrap the bottle in a blue plastic sleeve, since consumers link bold colors with stronger flavors. <\/p>\n Morris said consumer feedback suggests that shoppers are open to the visual changes. When it comes to food color, \u201cthe customer is continuously telling us that it\u2019s not necessary everywhere,\u201d he said. Walmart\u2019s key message, he added, is that taste and quality remain unchanged, even if the colors look different. <\/p>\n Some research has linked synthetic dyes to hyperactivity and restlessness in certain kids<\/a>. But the FDA said the dyes are safe for most<\/a>.<\/p>\n Walmart\u2019s announcement also includes the removal of 30 additional ingredients, including certain preservatives, artificial sweeteners and fat substitutes. These include ingredients that California has already moved to ban<\/a>, including potassium bromate, an oxidizing agent for dough, and propylparaben, a preservative. Morris said they were targeted because of the availability of alternatives on the market that \u201cdon\u2019t compromise the quality or cost.\u201d <\/p>\n Renee Leber, a food scientist at Institute of Food Technologists, said the shift to natural dyes has been underway for more than a decade, fueled by the clean label movement of the 2010s, but the FDA\u2019s latest actions have given it new momentum. <\/p>\n![\"Two](\"https:\/\/media-cldnry.s-nbcnews.com\/image\/upload\/t_fit-760w,f_auto,q_auto:best\/rockcms\/2025-09\/250930-walmart-cupcakes-vl-946a-ee9977.jpg\")
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