Erin from The Humbled Homemaker emailed me some exciting Aldi news this morning. She said:
According to my Aldi ad, they will be offering some organic specials again starting Wednesday, July 10–and this time around they will also carry organic, grassfed beef for $4.49/lb. and antibiotic-free chicken for $2.99/lb.!!
You’ll also want to check out Erin’s post on buying Whole Foods at Aldi and what she recommends that you purchase at Aldi.
Anne says
I recently got an Aldi near me but I was so disappointed. I don’t buy any super-processed food because of food sensitivities, so I can’t compare those, but for regular food, Aldi is considerably more expensive than my regular grocery store. Eggs and some of the canned veggies are cheaper and milk would be cheaper, but I drink lactose free and that costs more and is usually out of stock at Aldi (when stocked they have about 6 cartons of skim) . Things like chips, baking supplies, produce, dairy products, and ground beef cost a lot more (and my local grocery store is well known for high quality beef, so it’s not like I am comparing questionable meat). I’m not bashing Aldi but I am somewhat confused as to why it is so much more expensive. Any ideas?
Charity says
I went to ALDI today to check things out. They had the beef, and it said 100% grass fed, but it also said it is from Uruguay and Argentina, I think. So…definitely not local, heck not even US! I wonder why?
And yes, cage free means nothing. Free range or pastured chickens are what you want to look for.
I am happy to see the options though! I hope they keep the products around!
danielle says
You answered my question: country of origin. Argentina is know for their beef but I really don’t know much about their animal handling practices.
Charity says
That’s my concern…how do they raise, treat and process their meat? Were there no grass-fed beef farmers in the US they could work with? I’m sure it’s a money game, but I wonder…
Cris says
I cannot speak on this specifically but maybe there is more online to read about. Being from Brazil and having gone thru vet school there I can say that our sanitary practices are the same as developed countries when it comes to the slaughtering and meat processing/distribution. The inspection is very rigorous. In fact a lot of it comes to the USA. Argentina and Uruguay are pretty similar to Brazil in a lot of ways so I would have absolutely no issues buying meat from there. Of course this is just my personal opinion and it’s up to everyone to decide this.
Sally says
The origin of the meat probably depends on your Aldi location. Mine is labeled Uruguay and Australia.
KimH says
I did the same thing… When I saw it wasnt from the US, I passed on it. I have a source for local Organic 100% Pastured beef for about the same price per pound. I’ll stay with my local sources, but I do think its great that they’re trying at least.
The American Cattlemen’s Association has the American cattlemen in the US in chains at a local level. The ranchers who’ve been raising cattle for commercial sale for years are being manipulated at the local level and they dont dare go against the grain. If they do, they risk losing the assistance of the ACA and the benefits they get thru them.
scott says
Just a heads up…There have been studies that show that a varied diet is much more beneficial. This doesn’t just mean type of food but also where the food was raised/grown as well. Humans were originally hunter/gatherers roaming the land for plants and animals. Because of that some also migrated seasonally covering large areas, thus consuming a wider variety of plants/animals and plant/animal fat soluble vitamins and minerals than one typically could by residing only in one area and consuming only food raised/grown in that area. Different areas of our planet offer different essential minerals that can only be ingested by consuming plants/animals from different areas. The more locations that my food comes from the better IMHO….unfortunately we should research the regulations for food production from the places that produce our food though. THEN eat the widest variety from the most varied places we’ve found.
Heather C says
I haven’t seen this circular yet! I am really hoping its available in my area too. I would love to check it out. I don’t shop regularly at ALDI but I do watch their ads closely. Thanks for the tip.
Kellie says
whoo hoo!! im so excited ever since Kroger came out with their line or organic ive been buying all Simply Organic stuff now I have another store to choose from that has Organic options, i think ill be going here this weekend to try it out 🙂
Rachel says
I was so disappointed today; I went to Aldi’s today and they had hardly anything organic. All they had was EVOO, salad dressing, salsa, string cheese, pasta and pasta sauce. No organic meat! 🙁
Cherie Liwanag says
Thank you very much for sharing! I wasn’t aware of this. I usually go in to grab my usual so I don’t over shop. But now I’m going to look out for this! Yea!
Carrie says
Yes, I noticed this too and was planning on stocking up when it became available!
Erin@TheHumbledHomemaker says
Thanks so much for sharing the tip, Crystal! I was so excited when I saw the ad yesterday! I am planning on calling my Aldi today to find out exactly what time they will be stocking the beef! I hope they will see the response and start offering these items more regularly!!
Brynn says
I have read that poultry is not allowed to be administered hormones, but i never heard that about antibiotics. So maybe we can get a post on that information? I usually pay extra for “no antibiotics administered” such as on the Nature’s Promise label… Is this a waste of money? Free Range and organic is oftentimes 2-3x the price!
Kelli says
I agree “Free Range” is better, but antibiotics can and often are administered because disease can run rampant in those factory farm conditions. YUK!
Kendra says
This is VERY encouraging! I was just thinking the other day after reading a guest post about going organic (the potato thing ReAlLy made me re-think what I’m putting into my body!), I was hoping to find some reasonably priced organic meat.
Nancy says
Can I just say, jealous!! We had an Aldi for about 2 years, they didn’t make it. 🙁
[email protected] says
in the US poultry is not allowed to be administered antibiotics or hormones. you can read that on the side of chicken packages… the real key words you should be looking for is “free range” ( cage free is another marketing word as it is not the same thing
Emily says
Antibiotics are routinely added to conventional chicken feed, however.
Jacqui says
They are finally building one in Southern California! I was really excited until I realized that it was still nearly 2 hours from me…
Marie says
I noticed my Aldi’s (MN.) had gluten free items again like pancake mix and brownies. I love Aldi’s and it’s become my main shopping place.
Ashley R says
Sweet, thanks for sharing! I love Aldi! I don’t typically buy meat or produce there, but I do like just about everything else.
Janna says
I wonder if the chicken will also say “hormone free?”
Melissa says
If you read the labels on chicken that says it is hormone free, it says that hormones are not allowed to be used with poultry. So I think “hormone free” is a marketing ploy.
Sarah says
Its great to see stores carrying more organic food. FYI, according to the national chicken council antibiotic-free is a marketing term. They state: “All chicken is “antibiotic-free” in the sense that no antibiotic residues are present in the meat due to the withdrawal periods and other precautions required by the government and observed by the chicken companies.”
beth says
Thank you for sharing, I didn’t realize that. How are you to know if something is truly antibiotic-free then? I’m confused on how to look for healthier alternatives for my family. 🙁
Crystal says
That’s what I’ve heard, too. Thanks for mentioning it!