American retailing giant Petco has announced it will stop selling pet food and treats containing artificial colours, flavours and preservatives. After May 2019 customers will no longer find brands containing such ingredients on their shelves. More than 40 artificial ingredients are on its banned list.

The private San Diego-based company is rated No 100 in Forbes’ America’s Largest Private Company list with $4.2 billion in annual sales and operates 1,500 store locations in the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico.

Explaining the decision, which the company says could impact more than $100 million in annual sales, Petco said in a statement, “The move makes Petco the first national pet specialty retailer to take a stand against such ingredients, reaffirming the company’s commitment to being the lifelong, trusted partner – for pets and pet parents alike.”

While Petco expects to take a hit to the bottom line in the short term, its decision to stop carrying and selling such products is critical to the company’s broader mission.

“Throughout our 50-year history, what is best for the pet has been best for our business,” Ron Coughlin, Petco’s CEO, told Forbes magazine.

“We believe that by being a trusted advisor we can help our customers and lead them to healthier choices. We believe we can and should do it. Job number one is doing right by the pets and we believe the business will follow.”

The full Forbes story can be found on its website by clicking here