Aldi Grocery Stores something odd

So I've been cooking a loooong time, gardening a long time, and have an above average knowledge of different foods from around the world. I can taste tell most organic foods from non organic and have above average sense of smell.

We have these stores called Aldi, it is super discount, no frills type of grocery store. I don't know what it is, but the few times I have shopped there it seems like something is wrong with the food, it is hard for me to explain, but if I had to put it in words, their food has no life source to it, it seems dead. I can't even explain it, even Walmart grocery seems to be better. The food looks fine, it looks fresh, there isn't anything cosmetically wrong with it. Here is the conspiracy twist to it, this is generally sold to lower income and/or elderly folks. Sure there are others that shop there, but I'm talking about generally who they cater to. Of course i'd love to shop there and save money, but my intuition just tells me no.

Anyone else have experience with this place?

a reply to: JAGStorm

Perhaps irradiation?

a reply to: ccseagull

I did think of that, but I've had other food at other places that were irradiated without the same effect.

originally posted by: JAGStorm
So I've been cooking a loooong time, gardening a long time, and have an above average knowledge of different foods from around the world. I can taste tell most organic foods from non organic and have above average sense of smell.

We have these stores called Aldi, it is super discount, no frills type of grocery store. I don't know what it is, but the few times I have shopped there it seems like something is wrong with the food, it is hard for me to explain, but if I had to put it in words, their food has no life source to it, it seems dead. I can't even explain it, even Walmart grocery seems to be better. The food looks fine, it looks fresh, there isn't anything cosmetically wrong with it. Here is the conspiracy twist to it, this is generally sold to lower income and/or elderly folks. Sure there are others that shop there, but I'm talking about generally who they cater to. Of course i'd love to shop there and save money, but my intuition just tells me no.

Anyone else have experience with this place?

We shop at Aldi sometimes. It's the supermarket equivalent of a dollar store: everything is the absolute cheapest they can get. There are few if any nationally-recognized brand names. They have no bags; you are expected to bring your own. The shopping carts are chained together, and you have to insert a quarter into a little slot to unlock one. You get the quarter back when you return the cart. This is probably a sensible precaution in low-income areas, but it seems rather out-of-place in the quiet suburban area where the Aldi near me is located.

I read an article about this and it highlighted what to buy/not buy from Aldi. Veggies made the do not list but I think it was more to do with cost efficiency.

originally posted by: JAGStorm
So

We have these stores called Aldi, it is super discount, no frills type of grocery store. I don't know what it is, but the few times I have shopped there it seems like something is wrong with the food, it is hard for me to explain, but if I had to put it in words, their food has no life source to it, it seems dead.

Some grocery stores are known to move food around from store to store as it gets stale.

I've seen this myself.

The freshest produce is placed into the groceries in "rich" neighborhoods.

After a few days, they are packed up and sent to the grocery (usually "of the same chain of groceries") that is in a poor neighborhood, and is then "marked down" in price.

If the poor people don't buy it, they then throw it out.

This happens particularly with things like bread and other bakeries. I'm not sure about fresh vegetables and fruit. But, I presume some of these can be relocated too.

a reply to: JAGStorm

I shop at Aldi fairly regularly.
I buy the staples there... flour, sugar, butter, rice and eggs.
I have been very satisfied with what I get there. Their satifaction guarantee is very good. Bring back the unused portion, and they will give you your money back... AND replace the item.

originally posted by: JAGStorm
So I've been cooking a loooong time, gardening a long time, and have an above average knowledge of different foods from around the world. I can taste tell most organic foods from non organic and have above average sense of smell.

We have these stores called Aldi, it is super discount, no frills type of grocery store. I don't know what it is, but the few times I have shopped there it seems like something is wrong with the food, it is hard for me to explain, but if I had to put it in words, their food has no life source to it, it seems dead. I can't even explain it, even Walmart grocery seems to be better. The food looks fine, it looks fresh, there isn't anything cosmetically wrong with it. Here is the conspiracy twist to it, this is generally sold to lower income and/or elderly folks. Sure there are others that shop there, but I'm talking about generally who they cater to. Of course i'd love to shop there and save money, but my intuition just tells me no.

Anyone else have experience with this place?

In the UK the ever shrinking middle class are shopping in Aldi more and more, the sad reality is that what was once simple organic foods that where purchased at local green grocers is now almost held in god like high regard and prices are f#cking hideous, probably 200 % higher than somewhere like Aldi.

A few decades back every high street had "organic" food suppliers but since it has been shrink wrapped put on Instagram and some 20 something art degree liberal in a swanky shop to serve you it all has to be paid for..

Here in is the issue how do places like Aldi get their prices so low, obviously production cost and purchasing is squeezed and so are the suppliers so all bets are off to how their food is produced.

If people just stopped for a minute and could see how they are getting ripped off maybe the quality would change??. I full understand what you mean though, the food almost just seem enough to keep you alive nothing more.

KInda reminds me of a Chicken shop near me, they offered 2 chicken burgers, 2 fries, and 5 chicken strips for £2... Was it even chicken they where serving???....


RA

a reply to: slider1982

Yes, you know what I'm talking about. "the food almost just seem enough to keep you alive nothing more. "

Something about this food seems devoid of real nutritional value. It isn't about freshness, because some of this stuff is fresh, it isn't past date or spoiled. I'd be curious as to where and how these foods are actually grown.

The same company owns Trader Joes.

Supposedly comparable stuff in both, just a regional name difference owned by brothers who run respective regions.

www.aldireviewer.com...

Last time I shopped at Aldi, I felt I wasted my money. The food having no life source seemed to sum it up greatly. I'd rather spend a little more and enjoy what I eat. But, this place is probably a god send to people with limited funds.

a reply to: JAGStorm
Cheap food being sold to people who have no money turns out to be poor quality.
This is a conspiracy?

a reply to: Butterfinger

well, as someone who shopped at Trader Joe's and Aldi it's nothing like Trader Joe's

I really like the conspiracy angle. Lifeless food..."Soylent green" vibe.

Do you think this could be GMO food?

a reply to: AMPTAH

Aside from the moral questionability of that practice, I'd think moving produce around like that would be counter productive and eat into your profit margins.

$.99/lbs. carrots. Sits in a store for 5 days, need manpower, time and gas to pack it up, move it just to cut the price even $.10, youre losing out.

I've seen upper class HEB and even Central Markets in Austin Tx. toss out old stuff.

I'd rather see someone eat it before it rots or gets thrown out.

originally posted by: JAGStorm
Anyone else have experience with this place?

I don't personally... But I know my brother only ever buys 'Leos' beer, which is only sold at ALDI's... their made in Thailand and probably as cheap as you can get beer in Australia, around $30 a case... Its not a bad drink, personally I think you could put a Budweiser label on it and no one could tell the difference... Just tastes to watered down for my palate... I'd personally rather pay the extra few bucks for a top quality beer.

I have no idea about the quality of their food... Lots of people who love a good bargain do swear by them though... I think most people go their to bulk buy foods that have a long storage life, rather then fresh foods...

I have been a Chef for 32 years.I shop at Aldis on a regular basis and they have some great deals. The prices are lower because they only need 2 or 3 employees a shift. The cashier will sweep and mop between customer even help stock shelves. At our Aldi they start the cashiers at 13.00 dollars an hour.The meats are prepacked so no butcher and most of the big sellers come on pallets so easy to replenish quickly. The other thing that keeps the prices low is private labeling.The produce is fresh and cheap. And the organic produce section keeps growing. I get the basic stuff there i like to do my own butchering at home and i watch the ads i like Shoprite and Sams Club for meats.

a reply to: JAGStorm

seems to me that a food source that has no life source would be your best bet!

imo them life sources harbor much hate for you as a human!

on the other hand i could have it backwards

maybe not shop at alldie

originally posted by: Butterfinger
a reply to: AMPTAH

Aside from the moral questionability of that practice, I'd think moving produce around like that would be counter productive and eat into your profit margins.

$.99/lbs. carrots. Sits in a store for 5 days, need manpower, time and gas to pack it up, move it just to cut the price even $.10, youre losing out.

The thing is, you have to pack it up to throw it out in the first place. So, simply put it back in the cartons, and pack it into the same trucks that are always moving food from store to store anyway. The trucks are doing the same runs, going from one store to the next. They simply pick up and drop off the cartons of food, instead of simply dropping off only.

This food is not past the due date. It's just not the freshest. When it arrives at the grocery in the poor neighborhood, it gets immediately marked down. So, it's discounted for people who can afford and buy discounted food.

You can verify this practice easily. Just pick a random day, and walk into a grocery in a poor neighborhood, and look for the "red tags" that say "sale". Try to find bread, for example, that doesn't have that red tag, in the poor store. Then, waltz over to the same grocery chain in the neighboring rich city block, and see if you can find any "red tag" items, for the same bread.

Rich people don't buy the "red tag" items, so it gets moved before the due date, to places where it gets sold. The grocery optimizes the sale of items, and doesn't just throw things away, because nobody is buying them in that particular store.

There's no additional cost to transport these goods from store to store, because the trucks are already making their rounds everyday, from one store to the next to drop off and pick up.

Any other way, and you'd be throwing away lots of good food, would be a waste.