Aldi’s famously low price tags can’t exist without its signature store-brand products. Producing private-label stock lets Aldi avoid operational fees from working with other companies, so it can afford to sell items at bargain prices. While most shoppers are happy about this, it might make you wonder where these products actually come from, especially things like seafood.
Aldi doesn’t name the manufacturers behind its seafood products, but has released info about its sourcing practices, the general areas where its products come from, and the number of fisheries it works with. According to the Ocean Disclosure Project, Aldi worked with 136 different fisheries as of 2024, 79 of which are certified as sustainable according to OCP standards. Aldi prides itself on sourcing its seafood from fisheries and farms with fair labor practices and commitments to sustainability. The grocery chain is partnered with organizations including the Marine Stewardship Council, Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, and Best Aquaculture Practices. The former two work with fisheries to decrease their impacts on the environment, while the BAP issues certifications to farmed seafood products produced with sustainable practices.
Aldi hasn’t always been a shining beacon of ethical seafood, though. A disappointing reality behind Aldi’s salmon came to light in 2021, when a lawsuit found that its farmed salmon was raised in inhumane conditions that negatively impacted ocean waters, despite being labeled as sustainable. The suit led Aldi to change the salmon’s packaging. In case you’re worried about being duped, a closer look at Aldi’s seafood items can reveal more info about sourcing.
Read more: 8 Frozen Foods To Buy At Aldi And 8 To Skip
Aldi’s seafood packaging can tell you more about where it comes from
Plastic bag of Fremont Fish Market Wild Caught Alaskan Cod from Aldi – Kristi Blokhin/Shutterstock
Whether you’re looking at Aldi’s frozen seafood or its fresh or canned products, packaging for items labeled as wild-caught will always name the area where they were sourced, according to Food and Agriculture Organization catchment zone numbers. For instance, the Specially Selected Wild Caught Ahi Tuna — one of the best Aldi meats to buy — is labeled as FAO 71, meaning the fish is caught in the Western Central Pacific zone near Australia.
Wild-caught products from Aldi also name the type of gear used to catch the seafood, which can inform your purchasing decisions. For instance, longline fishing, trawling, and purse seine nets are among the most environmentally damaging fishing methods, and some Aldi products are caught using these tools. Meanwhile, farmed seafood products from Aldi are a little less specific about their sourcing. These items will only display their country of origin on the label, so try to look for countries with the safest fishing practices on your packaged seafood.
To further help you make sustainable purchasing decisions, look for the Best Aquaculture Practices stamp on Aldi seafood packaging, which is blue and reads “BAP certified.” Customers may not know exactly which companies or manufacturers are behind Aldi’s seafood, but the info that the store does disclose can help you dodge iffy products and spring for ones that are high-quality, better for the environment, and more transparent about their origins.
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Read the original article on Tasting Table.
