For restaurants and packaged food brands, the current hot trend is eliminating additives and ingredients that the public has come to see as unhealthy or unnecessary. These include things like trans fats, artificial colors, and artificial flavors. Restaurant chains like Panera and food companies like Campbell Soup have pledged to not sell products with these substances in them, but Aldi is pledging to do so store-wide.

The substances that are no longer allowed in Aldi’s products are certified synthetic colors, partially hydrogenated oils, and added monosodium glutamate.

“Since more than 90 percent of the products we sell are under our exclusive brands, CEO Jason Hart said in a statement, “eliminating these ingredients will have a real impact on the over 30 million people who shop in our stores.”

As their CEO points out in the announcement that these ingredients are off the menu, Aldi mostly sells its own private-label items to keep prices low. It also gives them significant control over what’s sold in the stores, which is how a discount grocer can make a change that most people would associate more with a health food chain. They didn’t make the announcement until the substances had already been removed.

(via Supermarket News)

Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.