If you buy your meat from Aldi then you have probably noticed their competitive pricing. Why are they so cheap? From where do they source their meat? In this article, I will explain where does Aldi beef come from and how they get them to be so cheap.
ALDI beef is mainly sourced from local farms in the US. Not only that, farms that are closer to the ALDI stores are mainly where the beef comes from since it is cheaper to transport it.
A lower cost to source the meat means ALDI can charge you a fair and reasonable price for the meat and food items you buy. Let's take a deeper dive into how ALDI sources its beef.
Where Does Aldi Beef Come From?
One of ALDI's most appreciated features is its low prices on meat. It provides good value for money. However, this might raise concerns and skeptics might wonder how ALDI sells its beef for such low prices.
You might even question the quality of the beef and the sourcing. Well, I am here to put all those misplaced thoughts (if you had any) to rest.
ALDI mostly sells USDA choice and Black Angus meat. ALDI sources its beef locally. They buy the meat from regional sellers and more often than not, these farms are quite close. Working with farms that are closer to the ALDI stores has a couple of benefits for ALDI. Benefits which the German supermarket chain can then pass on to you – the customer.
Mostly the benefits are in the form of lower prices. By sourcing locally, they can keep the prices low. It helps the local or regional farms and also keeps the prices low. We will take a more in-depth look at how ALDI beef is cheap a bit later on.
Does Aldi Import Meat from China to Lower Cost?
Some beef at ALDI is imported. This might be somewhat of an eyebrow-raiser for some. Since ALDI most definitely has items that are imported from China, some are under the notion that the beef must come from China as well.
You can rest assured that is not the case. Why you may ask. Well, let me clarify it for you. Any food that is imported to the United States is required by law to be clearly labeled. Thus, any meat be it beef, chicken, lamb or pork that is imported, needs to have a label of the country of origin.
When you are at an ALDI’s, you can easily check the label to see where the beef is from if it is imported in the first place.
Here is another interesting fact; pork from China for example is actually banned in the United States. In fact, 90% of the imported beef and pork that is imported to the United States is from Mexico, Canada, Australia and even New Zealand.
When buying beef for your next BBQ party or just for yourself you can be completely sure that your meat is sourced from reliable and safe places. If you are going for imported meats or beef, there should be a clear label on the packaging. So, there is no reason to be worried about.
What is Special About ALDI Beef?
The way ALDI has its beef is sometimes unique compared to other supermarket beef. ALDI does not do any sort of custom cuts either. This naturally means you will not be running into a butcher at your local ALDI store.
This might be a downside for some shoppers. Many meat lovers I know love the personal interaction with their butcher. They have built a mutual relationship with their butchers. They will have some chit chat and talk about different cuts of beef as well.
You can ask to give you custom cuts as well – one of the biggest features of having a butcher. All that is not available in ALDI though. That is not a bad thing either. Quite the contrary. Not having a butcher is one of the reasons why ALDI beef is cheap.
It is great for people who want good quality meat that is locally sourced and cost-effective. There are quite a lot of interesting reasons how ALDI manages to give you beef for much cheaper. But as we said, we will take a deeper look into it a bit later on.
They are also starting sourcing beef in a more environmentally friendly way. That is great news for both meat lovers who also want to be environmentally friendly. Beef, as delicious as it is, can cause quite a lot of damage to the environment.
That is why I love the fact that ALDI is doing something much more with their beef sourcing than just cutting costs. ALDI is implementing a program that will allow the chain to source Scotch Aberdeen Angus Beef.
It will do it in a way that helps both the farmers and also the chain itself. It is a mutual agreement, one that I for sure think is a great initiative and forward-thinking. A key way ALDI plans to do this is by offering to pay a fixed price for each kilogram of beef.
This, of course, is a huge help to the farmers. They can further predict future possibilities and revenue as well. Farmers can be more certain about the future and be more confident. That is great news even for me as a meat lover.
I do love a BBQ on a Sunday evening with the family. But knowing that I bought the beef from ALDI where the farmers are also benefited, is quite joyous. As I said, it is a win-win.
There are some other nuances as well. Rules are surrounding the breeding and also requirements on cows giving birth for producing milk. Multiple stages of the supply are coming together to form an integrated process.
This means your beef is going to be sourced from one of the most efficient supply chains. It helps the economy, farmers and also you.
If you are still not convinced, how serious ALDI is with full transparency on how it sources its beef, there is also a traceability program. The program launched in late 2019. The program allows for cuts of meat to be matched with the animal of origin.
It is a sure-fire way of knowing where the beef came from exactly. You can trace it from start to finish. ALDI uses the DNA of the meat and matches it with the animal’s DNA. This is a very accurate and precise method.
All the players in the supply chain – the suppliers are then held accountable. They need to deliver on their promise every time. This is great for all of us as it ensures trust and transparency.
As of now, the program is applicable for its more premium beef products. Mainly the Scotch Aberdeen Angus Beef.
Is ALDI Beef good?
ALDI is known for its great value pricing on its products. Its beef is cheaper compared to other stores in some cases. But what about the quality of the beef itself? Is it anyway? Because at the end of the day, if the quality of the beef is not good you might be just wasting your money.
ALDI sells only USDA inspected meat. USDA uses its grade shield to quality the quality of beef. It is a widely trusted and respected method of assuring food quality in the United States. It grades beef in two ways mainly – yield and quality.
Yield is measured by the amount of actual usable lean meat. Quality on the other hand is quite self-explanatory. It is the tenderness, juiciness and overall flavor of the beef.
All of ALDI's beef is USDA inspected. There are USDA Choice beef and Black Angus beef too.
USDA Choice Beef
USDA Choice beef is perfect for dry-heat cooking and is a high-quality beef. You would primarily want to broil or roast USDA Choice Beef. High-quality, juicy and tender. You can already tell we are off to a good start when it comes to the beef quality at ALDI.
A thing to note though, USDA Choice beef does have somewhat less marbling than USDA Prime beef. USDA Prime beef is from well-fed cattle and has a high marbling.
Black Angus Beef
Another type of beef you are likely to find at ALDI’s is Black Angus Beef. In essence, Black Angus beef is a well-marbled beef that is of good quality. The quality between cattle might differ but is still very good indeed.
The beef is named after the breed of the cattle itself. They were indigenous to Scotland and have been bred from there. There are two types of Angus beef. Red and Black Angus. The Red Angus is much rarer.
Angus scores well on USDA’s scale for beef quality. However, keep in mind, just having the name Angus tells you very little of the quality of the beef. However, since ALDI sells USDA approved beef, all the beet in ALDI are perfectly safe and of high quality.
Why ALDI Beef is So Cheap?
So, how does ALDI sell its beef for so cheap? What shady business is going on here? Well, actually none. ALDI manages to sell beef cheaper than others because of some very simple reasons.
No Extras and Frills
You might have noticed, there are no fancy cuts available at ALDI and it does even have a butcher you can get your cut from. This of course saves cost as well. There are lesser options too. But you will mostly find what you need.
Locally Sourced
Since the meat is locally sourced from farms nearby, it can keep costs down further. Also, without compromising on the quality of the beef. Avoiding big brands and buying local are instant cost savers.
There you have it. Now you know where does ALDI beef come from. Turns out they are mostly locally sourced from farms in the United States. Imported beef has clear labels on them. A combination of high-quality beef and affordable prices makes ALDI one of the top choices for shoppers who want to spend their money wisely.
I hope this article was able to wash of any misconception you had on ALDI meat products. Have a wonderful day and thanks for stopping by.
