Aldi Private-Label Products All Have This One Thing In Common

Around 90% of Aldi's wares are reportedly house brands, and while their appearance, ingredients, and use cases may vary wildly, they all have one thing in common: an absence of many artificial dyes, MSG, and partially hydrogenated oils.

"The rule around here is if it isn't necessary, we don't do it," the retailer's website asserts. Items such as Red Dye No. 3, which the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned in 2025, sure aren't necessary as anything other than superficial colorants. Partially hydrogenated oils, as well as artificial trans fats, have been banned for even longer, and while we believe that MSG deserves a space on your spice rack, Aldi's policy certainly makes it easy for folks to avoid the naturally occurring, FDA-approved umami booster. Aldi's policy also removes some of the guesswork for those of us who like to control the amount of MSG that we use in, say, spaghetti sauce, for ourselves.

Aldi nixed the aforementioned trio all the way back in 2015. The move was meant to speak to a customer base that seemed more ingredient-focused than ever, Aldi CEO Jason Hart said in a press release at the time. The wellness industry, after all, was already a multi-trillion dollar business by 2015, so many consumers were clearly allocating money to all manner of goods presented as better for them. "Since more than 90% of the products we sell are under our exclusive brands, eliminating these ingredients will have a real impact on the over 30 million people who shop in our stores," Hart said. Although the two brands have very different public perceptions, these moves actually position Aldi closer to the more famously wellness-oriented chain Whole Foods, which has been artificial coloring-free since the 1980s.

More than a decade after it eliminated partially hydrogenated oils, MSG, and many synthetic colors, Aldi now aims to eliminate 44 more superfluous ingredients by 2027, such as artificial preservatives and sweeteners. Just like before, the step is intended to give customers more of what they want, and less of that they don't. Part of what customers don't want, per Aldi, includes the fat substitute Olestra, which is already banned in Europe. Will the U.S. finally follow?