A Closer Look at Aldi’s Meat Sources (Beef, Chicken etc.)

Some of the items sold by Aldi are up to 50% cheaper compared to other major retailers. With such excellent prices, many people wonder how Aldi turns profits from the items they sell.

One main reason is where they source their products. This article will look at a commonly purchased product at Aldi, meat, and explain where it is obtained and why it is so cheap at these stores.

Read on;

Where Does Aldi Source Their Meat From?

Aldi mostly gets meat from regional farms. This is part of the plan to avail meat at low costs to customers. Getting meat close to the store that sells it reduces many costs, which is passed to the customers as affordable prices.

aldi_meat
Nicholas Eckhart @ Flickr

Who Supplies Meat to Aldi?

Aldi US does not list their beef supplier since different entities do it. Remember that beef in Aldi stores comes from cattle born, bred, and raised in the store’s region, and with over 2,000 stores spanning 36 states, no single supplier can satisfy the huge demand.

However, Aldi UK lists some of its leading suppliers. Matthew Wright stands out as one of the leading suppliers for beef products, who delivers 100% British Farm Assured beef to stores.

Where Does Aldi Get Their Chicken?

Aldi gets its chicken from Tyson Foods. This chicken sells under the brand Kirkwood, and it includes breasts, thighs, wings, and drumsticks, among others.

Tyson Foods supplies Aldi with chicken, who then repackage it using their private label. Aldi’s Kirkwood chicken is Tyson’s chicken, with different names.

Where Does Aldi Organic Meat Come From?

Aldi’s organic line of products are sold under the brand Simply Nature. Aldi sources most of its organic beef from regional farms just as it does with non-organic meat.

Why is Aldi Meat So Cheap?

Aldi sells a wide variety of meat at cut prices. For instance, 73% Lean Ground Beef (Fresh) costs $2.49 per pound, and Angus Ground Beef(93% Lean) is available at $5.49 per pound. Simply Nature’s Beef Stew Meat( 100% organic) costs $6.99 per pound.

These are a few of the meat prices at Aldi, and you can check out their page for more varieties. Aldi manages to sell their meat so cheap, partly because of their larger business model, which aims to give customers commodities at a low price. Other reasons include;

  • Aldi buys meat from regional farms, avoiding big brands and lowering costs. Regional purchases mean less is spent on transport and the workforce required to prepare and get the meat to stores.
  • Aldi repackages their meat under their privately sold brand, so no money is spent on endorsing more prominent brands.
  • Aldi stores run very efficiently with limited staff members(between six and eight) who always multitask to keep things running smoothly.
  • Aldi offers fantastic deals to customers who buy products in bulk. As such, Aldi sells volumes and frequently restocks, which allows them to get small margins but make it up in volumes sold.

Does Aldi Import Their Meat?

Most of Aldi’s meat is sourced locally, but this is not always the case, and some of it is imported.

Does Aldi Meat Come From China?

No. Aldi does not get any meat from China. It sources imported meat from Australia, Canada, Mexico, or New Zealand.

Customers should not worry about buying meat from China since the law states that products, including food, made outside the United States should clearly label the country they are produced in.

In addition, Aldi’s website states that they clearly label any product made outside the United States with the country of origin per the law.

Is Aldi Meat From Australia?

Part of the imported meat sold at Aldi comes from Australia. However, this is a tiny percentage of the meat sold in the United States, as most of it is sourced locally.

When Does Aldi Get Meat Delivery?

Aldi restocks meat in their stores on Wednesday morning. Note that it also depends on the store and the available stock. However, this is the best time to rock up to a store near you for excellent meats and many more deals.

What Types Of Meat Does Aldi Sell?

Aldi’s meat collection includes;

  • Fresh chicken
  • Fresh Beef
  • Ground beef
  • Steak
  • Corned beef brisket
  • Chicken breasts and thighs
  • Sausages
  • Cold cuts
  • Chicken drumsticks
  • Ground turkey
  • Fresh pork
  • Pork chops
  • Fresh salmon
  • Tilapia fillets

Is Aldi Meat Good Quality?

Aldi’s meat is good, but again this depends on the specific type you are looking for. Do not assume that Aldi’s low prices and lack of household brands directly translates to lower quality meat. This is done to enable the store to sell meat at lower prices, and the quality is just the same as what other grocery stores offer.

One standout type of meat that has consistently received rave reviews at Aldi is Aldi’s USDA choice meats and Black Angus beef. USDA Choice is only given to meats that attain high-quality standards and is the second-best grade of meats available in the markets. The best grade is USDA Prime.

Black Angus meat refers to cuts obtained from cows that meet specific genetic requirements and have hides that are more than 50% black. This meat is known to be juicy and well-marbled.

So, What’s The Problem With Aldi Meat?

Aldi’s meat is excellent, but a few issues in the past years have made a few customers think twice about buying it from them.

While Aldi checks meat to ensure it lives up to its quality standards, it does not always happen. There have been instances where Aldi has recalled a few products from its meat collection in the past due to issues with its suppliers.

For instance, in 2018, in association with Cargill Meat Solutions, Aldi recalled a few beef products that might have been contaminated.

Such cases do not spur confidence in customers, and some of them choose to skip the meat section at Aldi.

Does Aldi Sell Meat Alternatives?

The meat alternatives available at Aldi include;

  • Meatless meatballs
  • Veggie burger
  • Meatless veggie crumbles
  • Chickenless strips
  • Eggplant fries and cutlets
  • Vegan mozzarellas
  • Vegan meatless turkey breast
  • Vegan flavor mac and cheese

Frequently Asked Questions?

Does Aldi Sell Organic Meat?

Yes. Aldi has a collection of organic meat available to interested buyers. This line of meat is branded Simply Nature and contains USDA inspected, 100% grass feed beef at affordable prices.

Does Aldi Sell Gyro Meat?

Yes. Aldi sells Gyro meat.

Does Aldi Sell Horse Meat?

No. Aldi does not sell horse meat. The controversy surrounding Aldi and horsemeat came about when some of its beef products contained up to 100% horsemeat. This scandal only affected stores in Europe, but it has since been cleared.

Is It Safe To Buy Meat From Aldi?

Yes. Aldi meat is USDA certified, and the company carefully inspects meat from suppliers before delivering it to their stores. Aldi lives by the slogan, quality does not have to come at a high price and delivers the best quality meat to customers.

Does Aldi Sell Halal Meat?

No. Aldi meat products are not Halal certified. However, it sells a wide variety of Halal products.

Does Aldi Have Vegan Meat?

Yes. Aldi sells vegan meat.

Conclusion

Aldi’s discount is a popular chain of stores where customers flock to buy a wide variety of items, including meats. There have been reports regarding the quality of beef available at Aldi, given the low prices, but we have cleared this and assure you that Aldi’s meat is safe. While quality can vary depending on the specific type of meat you want, the ones available at Aldi are certified, and many customers attest to this.

2 Comments

  1. Aldi gets its chicken from different sources in different areas; ISTR my area is Perdue rather than Tyson, but I don’t have any chicken in the fridge to check at the moment. Also the Never Any! doesn’t always match the processor for the regular chicken, IIRC.

    You can look up store-brand (and non-store-brand, it’ll tell you which specific plant your Perdue etc. was processed at) sources on ProPublica’s Chicken Checker based on the P-code, and see how many salmonella complaints your local processors get. It’s fun!

    Milk works similarly, though I forget what the name of the code is for dairies.

    In both cases it doesn’t necessarily mean the product is identical (the dairy/processor may be keeping different product lines separate), just that it goes through the same facility. Tyson and Perdue might have separate flocks dedicated to store-brands versus name-brands, or could be selecting which individual bird gets used for what based on quality, or whatever, you can’t tell that part from the P-code.

  2. I bought a rib eye steak packet at Aldi’s, had two steaks. I saw NO reference to the grade it was other than grass fed Angus, which isn’t a grade of meat, it’s a type of cow. WHY?? I’m thinking Angus is just a bogus, meat industry ploy to sell without the normal grading system. The steak I got was not very tender and only had a medium good taste. Aldi products can sometimes leave out descriptions on some products that other brands or stores DO put on the food. Like using 100% Arabica coffee beans- not on the Aldi Beaumont coffee. I think consumers should get the information on the products that have better descriptions, origins or quality of the item. Where it’s from. I also a few unhealthy items that were excessively so, like an apple turnover type product with 56 grams of carbs (!!) and used Bioengineered methods. I see fewer in other stores and not the Bioengineered stuff. Maybe it’s hidden, but it’s not in product types I buy. Ok, thanks. I will continue to sample Aldi’s and see how it goes.

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