Even with dairy consumption declining in the United States, milk is still a popular drink in many American households. In 2019, Americans consumed 51.8 pounds of milk per capita. To put this in a clearer perspective, that is around 6 gallons for each person in the United States.
Considering the United States has a population of around 329.5 million people, that is no small amount of milk. It comes as no surprise, though, because milk is nutritious, tasty, and used in a wide variety of dishes and baked goods. With this being said, it can be one of the pricier food products on your shopping list.
Aldi is known for keeping its prices low on all of its products, including the milk it sells in its stores. However, you might be wondering just where Aldi’s milk comes from.
To find the answers to this popular question, we conducted pretty extensive research, and in this article, we will show you all of our findings.
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Where Does Aldi Milk Come From In 2023?
This may come as a bit of an eye-opener for you, but Aldi’s milk comes from the same exact dairy farms that brand name milk companies use. These farms are located all around the United States and serve many different brands.
Aldi buys their milk wholesale. Once they have it, the German supermarket chain puts their own private label on the containers. Aldi’s private label for their milk is Friendly Farms.
If you would like to find out more on where Aldi’s milk is coming from, if there are any differences between Aldi’s milk and milk from a brand name company, or if Aldi is sourcing its milk ethically, then keep reading below for more information.
Is There A Way To Find Out Exactly Where Aldi’s Milk Is From?
There is, in fact, a way to figure out exactly which dairy farm the milk that you purchased from Aldi came from. All you need to do is a small internet search to find out this information. It will show you the exact plant that your milk was processed in, so go grab the milk sitting in your fridge to get started.
First, you will want to visit whereismymilkfrom.com, which, if you could not already tell, is the site that will tell you exactly where your milk came from. Next, all you need to do is enter your milk’s code. This can be found near the expiry date on your milk container.
The results will not only show you the location of where your milk is from, but they will also let you know all of the products that are processed there. However, the results will not show you a list of the brands that come from the location.
With this method, you are able to see that Aldi’s milk and brand name milk comes from the same dairy farms. Sometimes though, they will be processed in different plants.
If you are still unsure, just know that all of Aldi’s milk also has the Real Seal Stamp of approval, which is only given to excellent quality dairy products that come from and are processed within the United States.
Is Milk At Aldi As Good As Name Brand Milk?
Yes, Aldi’s milk quality is just as good as any name brand alternatives. This is because all of the different brands of milk come from the same place. Therefore, it is the same milk – just packaged in different packaging.
There is literally no difference between them other than their packaging and label designs. Aldi’s milk is not of lesser quality simply because it is the same milk.
The same dairy farms and processing plants that Aldi uses are also used by other name brand companies. Aldi simply utilizes different cost-cutting methods, which enable them to sell their milk for much cheaper than other brands.
Why Is Aldi Milk So Cheap?
Aldi’s corporate side of the business does not necessarily have the best negotiating skills in the grocery market. And as a result, Aldi employs strict methods that allow the company to be efficient and cut costs, which then lets them provide low prices to their customers.
All of Aldi’s stores run in a highly efficient manner. Efficiency leads to lower costs, which, as mentioned previously, leads to Aldi’s customers saving money. There are many ways in which Aldi employs efficient practices.
Aldi has smaller stores that allow for fewer employees. They do not use fancy displays, Aldi functions on limited hours, they offer few to no extra services, they use a cart rental system, and they make use of self-bagging. Through these methods, Aldi can keep its prices lower than its competitors.
Is Aldi’s Milk Ethically Sourced?
Aldi’s corporate website includes a section that outlines the company’s animal welfare policy. You can find it here, and it mentions that the company has no tolerance for animal abuse or animal neglect within its supply chain.
Aldi also confirms that their milk is free of any growth hormones. Growth hormones that were used in dairy cows were found to increase the rates of breast and prostate cancers in people. It also led to an increase of udder infections in cows.
Aldi has also created the Aldi Animal Welfare Policy, which requires humane conditions for all of the animals owned by the company’s suppliers. This policy is directly in line with the guidelines put forth by the OIE, which is the World Organization for Animal Health. Suppliers following Aldi’s policy are the only ones that the German supermarket chain will buy their products from.
So, generally speaking, yes, Aldi is a very ethical company.
Conclusion
Aldi gets its Friendly Farms milk from the exact same dairy farms that brand name milk comes from. Sometimes, the milk may be processed at a different plant, but it is the same milk as name brand milk.
Not only that, but all of Aldi’s milk is ethically sourced and contains no growth hormones. This means you can spend less money on good quality milk when you shop at Aldi.
