Aldi puts even more pressure on grocery chains
Low-price grocery chain Aldi is making some changes to the ingredients of its food products just days after Target announced it was banning various chemicals from the products it sells.
Aldi announced it has removed certified synthetic colors, partially hydrogenated oils and MSG from all of its exclusive brand food products.
The move by Aldi (and Target) comes as traditional and even upscale grocers are struggling to increase sales as shoppers increasingly turn to more discounters.
"At Aldi, we are dedicated to the well-being of our customers by providing high quality groceries at the lowest possible prices and offering foods shoppers can feel good about serving their families," said Jason Hart, CEO, Aldi. "Our decision to remove these ingredients from all of our exclusive brand foods delivers on our ongoing commitment to meet the evolving preferences of our customers. Since more than 90 percent of the products we sell are under our exclusive brands, eliminating these ingredients will have a real impact on the over 30 million people who shop in our stores."
Over the past several years, Aldi has enhanced its product offerings, including:
Fresh Produce: Increased fresh, organic produce offerings, including organic bananas, apples, tomatoes, avocados and salad mixes.
New Product Lines: Introduced its SimplyNature line of products, which is free from more than 125 ingredients, as well as a gluten-free line of products under the Aldi exclusive brand, liveGfree.
Labeling: Highlighted nutritional facts on the front of all Aldi exclusive brand food packages for shoppers to easily find key nutritional information.
Dietitian's Picks: Established the Aldi Dietitian's Picks that showcases existing products hand-selected by registered dietitians for their nutritional value to help guide shoppers in their purchasing decisions.
"Today's shoppers are more involved with food than ever before. They want to know everything about their food and the companies that supply them – especially as it relates to ingredients and the impact on their families," said Phil Lempert, editor of SupermarketGuru.com and food industry analyst. "Aldi is leading the supermarket industry in rightly responding to the science that shows the implications of these ingredients, and meeting the needs of the increasingly savvy consumers who don't want artificial or potentially harmful ingredients in the products they buy."
Additionally, Aldi partners with registered dietitians through its Advisory Council to provide tips, recipes and meal-planning ideas that make healthy eating easy and affordable for families.
Aldi operates more than 1,400 US stores in 32 states.