The Actual Brands Behind Some Popular Trader Joe's Products
Joe's Origins
Trader Joe’s may seem like an easygoing, carefree brand, but the higher-ups at corporate treat its inner workings more like an intelligence agency than a grocery store. Case in point: even longtime Trader Joe’s employees have no idea who supplies some of the retailer’s most popular products. But nothing stays secret forever. Using Food and Drug Administration recalls, input from superfans, and expert research, we were able to determine some of the major brands behind Trader Joe’s most popular products.
Editor's note: Our (top-secret) Trader Joe’s branding intel comes with the proviso that products change, so there’s no guarantee that these are still Trader Joe’s suppliers.
Baked Goods: La Boulangerie
After Starbucks killed the San Francisco-based chain La Boulange, the beloved Bay Area bakery reopened under a different name, landing two huge accounts: Costco and Trader Joe’s. Using a 40,000-square-foot factory, the bakery has been pumping out thousands of pastries and loaves of bread daily, some of which travel to Trader Joe’s stores, according to Eater.
Dry Roasted Pistachios: Wonderful
Product recalls show that Wonderful — the same company behind Fiji Water, Pom Wonderful, and Halo mandarin oranges — supplies Trader Joe’s roasted and salted pistachios. The Los Angeles-based company sources its pistachios from over 100,000 acres of farmland in California’s Central Valley.
Hummus: Bakkavor
In a voluntary recall in 2018, Bakkavor said that tens of thousands of its hummus dips had been contaminated by salmonella and listeria. It might be a stretch to call it a silver lining, but the recall also revealed that the international company supplies Trader Joe’s hummus.
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Tahini Sauce: Yorgo’s
Trader Joe’s herbed tahini sauce is just repackaged Yorgo’s, according to another listeria recall (yikes!). The FDA report also revealed that the New Hampshire-based company supplied Trader Joe’s since-discontinued cilantro and chive yogurt dip.
Soft-Baked Snickerdoodles: Enjoy Life
If you have a box of these vegan cookies on your shelf, you may want to think twice before taking a bite. In a July 2022 recall, we learned two things: 1) that there could be pieces of hard plastic in the cookies with a Feb. 3, 2023 best by date, and 2) that Enjoy Life — a health-focused sweets and snacks company — bakes these Trader Joe’s treats.
Lemony Arugula Basil Salad: Taylor Farms
This supplier of convenient, pre-washed salad kits has partnered with Trader Joe’s to produce the retailer’s lemony arugula salad. We know because — you guessed it — another recent recall states that there could be traces of wheat and egg in the salads. But don’t worry too much. Even if you’re allergic to gluten or vegan, the recall has since been terminated.
Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups: Bazzini
The nut- and dried-fruit supplier Bazzini is behind Trader Joe’s almond butter cups, a posher, more gourmet take on Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Like most products listed here, the FDA revealed the link after Bazzini issued a voluntary recall in 2021.
Restaurant-Style Tortilla Chips: Snak King
The same company behind El Sabroso chips also supplies Trader Joe’s tortilla chips — or at least it did in 2021. Since then, however, the retailer rebranded its chips as Truly Tortilla Chips, and superfans are split as to whether they're the same.
Bottled Smoothies: Naked
In the past, Trader Joe’s purchased some of its smoothies from Naked, a PepsiCo-owned juice brand. Eater discovered the link after submitting Freedom of Information Act requests and comparing the smoothies’ ingredients, many of which are nearly identical.
Ready-To-Eat Meals: Fuji Foods
If Trader Joe’s ready-to-eat sushi offerings seem oddly familiar, it’s because they share a supplier with 7-Eleven, Walgreens, and other retailers. The Asian-style pre-made lunch company, Fuji Foods, sells its meals under both the Trader Joe’s and Okami brands, according to a 2019 FDA recall announcement.
Veggie Bowls: Growers Express
Growers Express, best known for its Green Giant brand, also sells its butternut squash and zucchini spirals under Trader Joe’s private label. We know this thanks to listeria, the good ol’ bacterium that’s at the center of so many FDA recalls.
Pita Chips: Stacy’s
While the connection hasn’t been confirmed via recall, Eater reports that Trader Joe’s and Stacy’s pita chips share the exact same ingredients. We’ll leave it up to Trader Joe’s fans to decide if they taste the same.
Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies: Tate’s Bake Shop
Tate’s and Trader Joe’s gluten-free chocolate chip cookies share strikingly similar ingredients, and the packages are close to identical, save for the Trader Joe’s branding. That said, Trader Joe’s has ripped off products before — see the retailer’s Daily Facial Sunscreen — so it’s hard to know if it’s collaboration … or inspiration.
Indian Food: Tasty Bite
More than a decade ago, Fortune claimed that Tasty Bite supplied much of Trader Joe’s Indian cuisine, such as the now-discontinued Punjab Eggplant. Whether that’s still the case is up in the air — but the good news is that Tasty Bites’ offerings make good substitutes for discontinued Indian favorites.
Dark Chocolate Pretzels: Snack Factory
Trader Joe’s axed its dark chocolate pretzels in some regions, Redditors say, but you may be able to find an identical replacement: Snack Factory’s dark chocolate pretzel crisps. Eater reports that the pretzels are “identical,” and superfans more or less agree.
This article was originally published on Cheapism
