Sam's Club removes artificial additives from Member's Mark
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Sam's Club said all its Member's Mark food and beverage items are now free from more than 40 artificial ingredients, including high-fructose corn syrup and artificial colors.
Why it matters: Private-label products like Member's Mark are often seen as cost-effective but not always health-forward. The shift positions Sam's Club as a leader in clean-label efforts and raises the bar for other store brands.
Driving the news: The federal government's newly released dietary guidelines take a hard line on highly processed foods and artificial additives, advising consumers to limit foods with added sugars, artificial flavors and dyes — part of a broader push that includes FDA efforts to phase out petroleum‑based synthetic food colorings.
Catch up quick: The Sam's Club Made Without initiative began in 2022 because member feedback revealed a demand for simpler, healthier ingredients. It required hundreds of reformulations across more than 1,000 products, Nick Scheidler, vice president of product development and packaging, told Axios.
- The initiative was about 94% complete in June when Scheidler showed off some products during Walmart's annual Associates Week.
Behind the scenes: Removing artificial dyes from bakery items and sports drinks were among the toughest final hurdles at the end of 2025, Scheidler said.
- Much of the reformulation took place in-house with food scientists from both Sam's Club and the company's suppliers.
The intrigue: Some natural alternatives needed 30 times the concentration to achieve the same appearance and taste without compromising flavor.
The big picture: Private label brands have evolved the "generic" mindset in consumers. The sale of private-label food and beverage items grew by $9 billion in 2025, hitting a record $282.8 billion.
- Sam's Club doesn't publicly break out sales for Member's Mark or its food and beverage categories, but in 2024 Member's Mark items accounted for about 30% of the wholesaler's revenue.
What they're saying: "We have seen … good market share gains within our food business," Scheidler said, but he didn't tie it directly to the Made Without push.
- "The path wasn't easy — it took two years to get some products like cookies right — but we didn't sacrifice quality."
What's next: The company sees this as a proof-of-concept that could influence national brands sold in its clubs.
- Sam's is exploring Made Without standards for other categories, including household goods, cleaners and baby products.