As the largest supermarket chain in the U.S., Kroger stocks a wide range of products, from foods and electronic household items to health and wellness products.
In the food section, Kroger stocks various meat and grocery products. If you are a regular shopper at Kroger, you probably want to know where exactly Kroger meat comes from. Here’s all you need to know!
Where Does Kroger Meat Come From In 2024?
Kroger meat comes from different suppliers in the United States and, on some occasions, from other countries in 2024. This retailer sources its beef, pork, chicken, and other meat products from processing plants and subsidiaries run by Tyson Foods and JBS. Organic grass-fed beef is sourced from animals raised and slaughtered in Uruguay.
Keep on reading to get more details about where Kroger gets its range of meat products, along with other useful related facts!
Where Does Kroger Beef Come From?
Kroger’s beef is sourced from several suppliers because it has a high demand from customers.
Some of it is sourced from Kentucky farms and is sold as ground beef in the stores, while the rest is sourced from processing plants such as Cargill.
Additionally, Kroger also gets lean ground beef from JBS.
All beef suppliers to Kroger are 100% based on the USDA regulations that govern commercial sales.
Where Does Kroger’s Organic Beef Come From?
Kroger is known for its organic private label brand Simple Truth, which does not include artificial ingredients.
Under this brand, the retailer stocks plant-based meat alternatives, including chicken patties and meatless turkey slices.
Grass-fed beef under the Simple Truth Organic beef is also available for sale at Kroger stores. This type of beef is sourced from animals that are born, raised, and slaughtered in Uruguay.
According to Kroger, 80% of the cattle in Uruguay are either Aberdeen Angus or Hereford, which don’t have any added hormones or antibiotics.
This organic beef meets all the USDA Organic Certification and National Organic Program standards because they are free from herbicides and pesticides.
In addition to the Simple Truth Organic brand, Kroger also announced a partnership with Impossible Foods to stock plant-based meat.
Where Does Kroger Chicken Come From?
Kroger chicken cuts are sourced from companies such as Tyson Foods.
When shopping, you’ll find products such as Tyson boneless chicken breasts or fully cooked chicken nuggets.
Where Does Kroger Pork Come From?
Kroger sources its variety of pork products from the biggest meat supplies such as JBS USA, Tyson Foods, and Smithfield Foods.
During the height of the coronavirus pandemic, the retailer had to limit the purchases of fresh pork and ground beef due to meat shortages.
This shortage happened after these meat companies halted operations in their slaughterhouses because of the pandemic.
Where Does Kroger Fish Come From?
According to Kroger, all the wild-caught seafood is sourced from fisheries that are certified by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC).
Most of the fish is sourced internationally from countries like China.
Additionally, wild-caught tuna is from Ecuador, while sushi-grade swordfish is sourced from Singapore.
Kroger also gets cold smoked salmon from the icy Norwegian waters and pink salmon from Alaska.
Where Does Kroger Seafood Come From?
Just like fish, most seafood products are also sourced internationally. Kroger’s Private Selection Wild Caught Argentinean Red Shrimp is a product of Argentina.
Kroger ensures that all the fresh and frozen seafood species are from sustainable sources and certified by the MSC.
Is Kroger Meat From North America?
Most Kroger meat is sourced from the U.S. from meat processing plants that have operations in the country.
However, Kroger has had issues with the origin of its beef thanks to a class-action lawsuit that claims that Kroger beef is deceptively labeled as U.S.-produced, yet it’s imported.
This class action claims that the grocer’s beef products are a mixture of domestically born cattle and imported beef.
Furthermore, some of Kroger’s meat products like fish and seafood are mostly sourced from other countries outside North America.
Is Kroger Meat Good?
Compared to other retailers like Walmart and Aldi, Kroger has high-quality products, including meat products.
Although some may be high priced, the retailer offers a good range of traditional and organic cuts that meet the customers’ needs.
Therefore, Kroger is an excellent place to shop if you prefer organic meat.
Additionally, all of Kroger’s meat products are inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA); therefore, the products are certified to be of good quality.
How Often Is Meat Restocked at Kroger?
Kroger restocks products such as meat daily. Most of the stocking for grocery items is done overnight; however, the restocking can be done during the day if the products are out of stock.
Some stores will also restock in the early morning hours.
To know whether your nearest store has the products you need, you can use the Store Locator to check or use the app to find an item.
Can You Return Meat Products to Kroger?
If you’ve received the wrong order or there’s an issue with the meat products you bought at Kroger, you can return them to the nearest store.
However, you need to do so within the return policy guidelines, which limit the time to 30 days.
You should also carry your original receipt to get a refund or exchange; otherwise, the store will give you a merchandise gift if you don’t have a receipt.
To know more, you can also read our posts on who makes Kroger’s ice cream, Kroger vs Walmart, and who makes Kroger milk.
Conclusion
Kroger meat comes from different suppliers in the United States and, on some occasions, from other countries. This retailer sources its beef, pork, chicken, and other meat products from processing plants and subsidiaries run by Tyson Foods and JBS.
Organic grass-fed beef is sourced from animals raised and slaughtered in Uruguay. This retailer also sources seafood and fish items internationally, mostly from Asian countries.
