My previous post reviewing Aldi's Friendly Farms milk (Aldi's Milk vs. Everyone Else's Milk) probably left a little bit to be desired, so I've decided to do some more explaining and add some pictures. Above is a picture of the Aldi's milk label. I tried to find a photo of a Kemp's milk label so you could compare it more easily but it looks like I'll have to take one myself someday. Anyway looking at the label above, we see a number of things that every other milk label on gallons sold in the US has, like the red and white REAL symbol, what I think might be a variation of the Kosher dairy symbol to the right of it (K ribbon and D STAM), the usual notes that vitamin A & D have been added, the words "Grade A, Pasteurized, Homogenized, Fat Reduced from 8g to 5g", and so on. These are all the same symbols and wording found on all the other milk labels I've ever seen. Even the nutrition facts are the same.
The hormones question - does Aldi milk contain hormones?
Right at the top right, in a yellow burst, you'll see the phrase "Our Farmers Pledge NOT to use Artificial Growth Hormones*" and on the bottom of the label is the disclaimer that I guess must be attached to any product claiming that it doesn't use hormones to try and level the playing field for the rest of the milk companies that do, "*The FDA has determined that no significant difference has been shown between milk from rBST treated and non-treated cows." I take this to mean that Aldi milk contains no hormones.
The place of origin question - where is Aldi milk made?
Ok, now we know Aldi milk does not contain hormones. But if you're like me you've probably wondered where it comes from. Here's a fun trick: check out whereismymilkfrom.com and enter the code off the milk jug. It searches an official document containing registered dairy plant numbers and then locates their address on a map. Above is an image of our Aldi milk carton, plus a slightly zoomed in photo clearly showing the plant number, 27-168. Entering that into this tool reveals that Aldi milk in my area is made at a Kemps plant in Minneapolis, MN. This is the same plant where Kemps Select milk is made - I don't have a Kemps Select jug handy but I have tried this myself. (I can't imagine it would be cost effective to have two separate milk bottling lines going for these two different labels, it would save the company a lot of money to just put the same milk in both jugs.) This at least proves that Aldi milk is made at the same plants where other milk comes from.
Conclusions and final thoughts
I have noticed that Aldi milk at my local Aldi fluctuates in price by a dime or two. One week it will be $2.79 a gallon, the next it will be $2.89. Either way this is still cheaper than milk from the grocery store, where a gallon will run me $3.69. So even if you're not saving a whole dollar a week like my original post suggested, you're still better off than the people who grab the grocery store milk. So my conclusion is... drink up!
I am not affiliated with Aldi or whereismymilkfrom.com in any way, and I have provided their product images and website screenshots myself to illustrate, educate and entertain. Enjoy!
