Sam’s Club achieves 100% ‘Made Without’ standard in Member’s Mark foods

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — Sam’s Club has achieved a major milestone for its private brand by completing its switch to a 100% “Made Without” standard across all Member’s Mark food and beverage products.

The initiative, launched in 2022 and finalized in early 2026, removed over 40 ingredients from the Member’s Mark portfolio, including certified synthetic colors, artificial flavors, aspartame, and high-fructose corn syrup. The company said the reformulations were completed without sacrificing taste or the value members expect.

Julie Barber, the chief merchant at Sam’s Club, stated that the initiative was prompted by direct member feedback requesting simpler ingredient lists and more transparency. As a membership-based retailer, Barber pointed out that Sam’s Club prioritized aligning product standards with what members said they wanted to serve their families.

The process required extensive collaboration among merchants, product developers, suppliers, and the Member’s Mark Community, a member feedback group that helps guide product decisions. In some categories, achieving the new standard called for innovative approaches, including reformulating bakery items to maintain appearance and texture without synthetic colors and redesigning packaging for sports drinks to preserve familiar visual cues while keeping artificial dyes out of the product.

In cases where reformulation would compromise product quality, Sam’s Club chose to discontinue items instead of lowering standards.

Company leaders said the milestone demonstrates that clean-label reformulation is achievable at scale and has helped build confidence across the broader Walmart enterprise. Looking ahead, Sam’s Club plans to expand Made Without standards in 2026 to additional categories, including cosmetics, health and wellness and laundry.

The Made Without Commitment applies to Member’s Mark food and beverage products and excludes sports nutrition and over-the-counter items. The company emphasized that some permitted ingredients, such as citric acid and phosphoric acid, may still be present in qualifying products.