An ALDI store in California (Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com)
If you like affordable organic foods, we have good news for you. Last January, German grocery store chain ALDI removed artificial ingredients from its products, increased the variety of its gluten-free items, and added more organic foods to stores around the world. The strategy made ALDI the first European chain to forbid pesticides such as Clothianidin,Neonicotinoids, Thiamethoxam, Chlorpyrifos, Cypermethrin, Deltamethrin, Fipronil, Imidacloprid, Sulfoxaflor, and Imidacloprid, which can be harmful to insects such as bees. The chemicals can inhibit reproduction, foraging, and impact bees’ navigation abilities, among other destructive effects.
ALDI’s prices - for shelf items, and produce - are even lower than Walmart’s, but now, the grocery store is also competing against major organic food chains. Organic, healthy, and affordable food options have in recent years become increasingly attractive to millennials, and ALDI isn’t far behind. The store has removed partially hydrogenated oils, MSG, and synthetic colors from its private label - goods that amount to up to 90 percent of the retailer’s items.
The chain is also offering customers more fresh organic meat and produce that contain zero added animal by-products, additives, and hormones. On the website, ALDI promotes its USDA organic products - with the added benefit of everything being sold at discount prices. Many of their products are already without growth hormones - such as milk - but now other dairy products (cottage cheese, sour cream, yogurt, etc.) are produced without hormones as well.
In addition to expanding the organic line, the store is also environmentally conscious. ALDI requires all customers to bag their own groceries and provide their own bags. In order to avoid paying employees to gather shopping carts, the chain’s carts require a deposit, which is given back to shoppers upon the return of the cart.
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