Germany-based grocery chain Aldi excels at both earning the public’s trust and offering quality chicken cuts at low prices.
But you might be thinking: Where does Aldi get their chicken? Do they run their own poultry farms? The answer might surprise – and delight – you!
Where Does Aldi Get Their Chicken?
The chicken Aldi sells under the brand name Kirkwood, including raw breasts, drumsticks, thighs, etc., as well as processed, frozen products like chicken strips or breaded fillets, which come from the brand-name Tyson chicken company. The meat is sourced and processed by Tyson products, then packaged with Aldi’s private label.
If you’re wondering now how Aldi can sell their chicken so much less, whether the chicken is ethically sourced or what the quality is like, keep reading!
Is Aldi Chicken The Same As Tyson Chicken?
It almost seems too good to be true, but yes, Aldi’s Kirkwood brand chicken is the same thing as the Tyson brand chicken – a name-brand product sold in thousands of grocery stores around the country.
This isn’t a straightforward connection to make, however, because while food bloggers hinted at the fact or made carefully worded statements such as “I’ve heard that…” or “The rumors are that…” it’s not the same as irrefutable proof.
So let’s look at the evidence because I went on a deep dig for the truth.
First, one Redditor made a post on the r/keto subreddit, stating “Confirmed: Aldi Chicken is Tyson in Disguise.”
Not only did they make this assertion, though, but they also brought receipts, in the form of an image snapped in-store.
And you can indeed see that the boxes of chicken say “Tyson” on them. This is good, but still the word of a stranger on the Internet.
The next two pieces of evidence are actually from both Aldi and Tyson themselves.
First, a press release from Aldi in 2019 announced that they were recalling a certain chicken product; it begins, “In cooperation with Tyson Foods Inc…”
In the closing section, the Aldi presser says “Consumers with additional questions can contact Tyson Foods Consumer Relations…” It seems weird that Aldi would direct their customers to Tyson’s customer service if the two weren’t directly linked.
Second, an article about a Tyson recall on frozen chicken products states, “In addition to the Tyson brand, the recall now also pertains to some products sold under the following store brand names: Associated Wholesale Grocers’ Best Choice brand, Walmart’s Great Value brand, Aldi’s Kirkwood brand…”
On the basis of these three pieces of evidence, we can safely conclude that Aldi’s Kirkwood brand chicken is indeed the same as brand-label Tyson chicken.
Why Is Aldi Chicken So Cheap?
You might be wondering then, how does Aldi sell their chicken so inexpensively? Is there something wrong with it?
There is nothing wrong with it, and Aldi would have gone out of business a long time ago if they were selling lower-grade chicken to customers.
No, Aldi can sell their chicken for considerably less than grocery competitors because of their all-around business model.
One pertinent example is the fact that 90 percent of Aldi’s stock is private label, not just their Kirkwood chicken, and the money they save not stocking big brand names get passed on in savings to the customers.
Is Aldi Chicken Good?
Now that we know that Aldi’s Kirkwood chicken is the exact same thing as Tyson chicken, you can rest assured that the quality is also going to be the same.
If you think Tyson chicken is good, then you should find Kirkwood chicken good as well.
Chatter on the Internet finds Aldi chicken to be quite good, both in quality and taste. One commenter said, “Whole chickens are one of my regular Aldi staples, never had a bad one.”
I have found that their boneless/skinless thighs can sometimes be a bit fatty and require extra trimming, but that’s no different than most packaged chicken from any grocery store.
What Does The ‘Never Any!’ Label Mean On Aldi Chicken?
Aldi carries another store label under which chicken is packaged and sold: the Never Any! line of products, which also includes items like sausages, hams, specialty items, and deli meats.
These Never Any! items are billed as high-quality, with no antibiotics, no added hormones, and no artificial ingredients. They are USDA certified and contain no animal by-products (the animals from which the meat has come are fed vegetarian diets).
As far as the chicken is concerned, these are still Kirkwood brand items, which we can only assume come from chickens that have been sourced at even higher standards.
One possibility for the source of Never Any! labeled chicken is actually regional chicken farmers. Aldi is well-known for sourcing their beef, milk, and eggs from regional farmers (not only does it support small farmers, it helps Aldi keep costs down).
So it wouldn’t be a surprise if Aldi has teamed up with regional or local farmers to obtain the chicken for their Never Any! line, though we can’t know for sure at this time.
Are Aldi Chickens Raised Ethically?
Aldi maintains a strict animal welfare policy, which you can read here, and in recent years the company has upped its efforts for the humane treatment of chickens overseas.
Progressive Grocer writes that this move could “serve as inspiration for other food retailers, including in the United States.”
To learn more, you might also be interested in reading up on Aldi red bag chicken, Aldi Instacart, and where Walmart chicken comes from.
Additionally, don’t forget to see our other posts on whether or not Aldi meat is good and if Aldi meat is Halal.
Conclusion
Aldi’s Kirkwood brand of chicken is the same product as Tyson Chicken, just sold at a lower price thanks to the chain’s cost-cutting business model.
Even better, their Never Any! line of affordable, high-quality chicken ensures ethical sourcing and living humane conditions.
Give Aldi’s chicken a try, or even better, do a taste test between Kirkwood and Tyson – you likely won’t be able to tell the difference.
