A MAJOR bill that has just passed forces Sam’s Club to overhaul all of its home brand items by the end of the year.
The retailer is being forced to get in line with legislation spearheaded by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr about toxic chemicals.
The Walmart-owned Sam’s Club is launching its initiative called “Made Without”, which looks to eliminate over 40 ingredients from the private label brand Member’s Mark.
The removals have been seen across 96% of the Member’s Mark items.
The ingredients being removed from items include things like artificial colors and aspartame, a sweetener that is roughly 200 times wetter than sugar.
One of the other reasons is thought to be the changing health preferences of the younger generations, who are becoming more conscious about what they eat.
Sam’s Club recently surveyed its members and found that 72% are “actively seeking minimally processed foods.”
While 90% said that they “either live or aspire to live a healthier lifestyle.”
Many food companies are working on their existing products and introducing new ones without these artificial dyes.
Sam’s Club has already rolled out cookies and snacks without artificial colors.
The retailer had already pledged to remove them in a 2022 press release.
Sam’s Club Chief Merchant Julie Barber said then: “We take pride in the high-quality ingredients that go into our products, but what truly differentiates us are the ingredients we consciously leave out.”
Prathibha Rajashekhar, senior vice president of private brands, added: “The Sam’s Club member is at the center of everything we do, so as we continue to evolve the Member’s Mark brand, we intend to develop items that are reflective of the ingredients, processes, and materials they want – and don’t want – in their products.”
HEALTH PUSH
It comes as Kennedy has called for the end to synthetic food dyes in US food, in his move to address health conditions and obesity in Americans.
The US Sun reported on the popular products like Gatorade, Skittles and M&M’s that fell under Kennedy’s announcement.
In an April press release, the Health Secretary said: “For too long, some food producers have been feeding Americans petroleum-based chemicals without their knowledge or consent.
We take pride in the high-quality ingredients that go into our products, but what truly differentiates us are the ingredients we consciously leave out
Julie Barber, Sam’s Club Chief Merchant
“These poisonous compounds offer no nutritional benefit and pose real, measurable dangers to our children’s health and development. That era is coming to an end.”
Kennedy also hinted that this is a top priority for Donald Trump after he spoke to the heads of some top food and drink brands.
In attendance at Kennedy’s meeting were CEOs from General Mills, Kraft Heinz, PepsiCo North America, JM Smucker, Tyson Foods, WK Kellogg, and the Consumer Brands Association.
Some of the notable dyes being taken out includes Red Due 40, which is commonly used in things like sports drinks and chips.
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary cited a study from The Lancet science journal.
It found that artificial colors could “result in increased hyperactivity” among children when consumed.
Makary said: “Now, there’s no one ingredient that accounts for the child chronic disease epidemic.
“And let’s be honest, taking petroleum-based food dyes out of the food supply is not a silver bullet that will instantly make America’s children healthy, but it is one important step.
“For the last 50 years, American children have increasingly been living in a toxic soup of synthetic chemicals.”
The harmful food dyes are found in candies like Skittles[/caption]
