Here's How Aldi Really Sources Its Fresh Vegetables

Shopping at Aldi tends to be a trade-off of sorts. While you'll find screaming deals on meat and other necessities, it comes with giving up certain frills like having someone bag your groceries. Still, even loyal customers have some beefs with the discount retailer. Of all the things that Aldi shoppers hate, coming home with fresh produce only to realize it's already going bad has to be high on the list. But as common an issue as bringing home questionable bagged onions seems to be, it raises questions about where Aldi is sourcing its vegetables.

As it turns out, it isn't all that different from other leading grocery retailers. The discount supermarket relies on both major produce suppliers and local farmers to get fresh veggies on the shelves. When commodities like corn and peaches hit peak season, it's a safe bet that the store will feature some of the finest produce local farms have to offer. Yet, because most local farmers aren't able to supply those items to customers in December, and sometimes a winter peach cobbler just hits the spot, large-scale distributors are there to pick up the slack.

Corporate produce suppliers often grow vegetables indoors, allowing them to control the environment and sell veggies that aren't in season locally. As far as the local-to-corporate ratio, it likely depends on where a store is located. Aldis in colder states, such as Minnesota, probably have fewer local choices throughout the year than stores in a state like Florida.

Today, many people are just as concerned about the origin of their veggies as they are about knowing how they were grown. Purchasing vegetables that were cultivated without the use of harmful pesticides and don't contain any genetic modifiers is a priority among some shoppers. While folks aren't going to experience the high standards that Whole Foods offers, there is often organic produce available at Aldi.

Although much of the produce grown using GMOs is fed to livestock, some vegetables we humans consume, like corn, potatoes, and summer squash, may have been given some special assistance via science. For customers who want to avoid those items, searching for products from Aldi's Simply Nature brand is a good place to start. However, if you want more solid assurance that your veggies are free of genetic modifiers, look for packages that are stamped with a Non-GMO Project Verified or USDA Organic seal.

Those vegetables are guaranteed to be grown just how nature intended. Any substances used to keep bugs from munching on veggies meant for your dinner table are all natural. While you might have to spend a little extra, which diminishes some of the appeal of shopping at Aldi, you won't have to worry about any questionable chemicals on your fresh produce.