Have you ever seen the brands Simple Truth Organic at Kroger, 365 at Whole Foods, Simply Nature at Aldi, or Great Value Organic at Walmart? These are store brands, aka private label brands.
The products behind these household names are typically produced by third-party suppliers and then labeled by the retailer for sale in their stores. The problem: You can never be certain who produced the milk in the carton. It could be one of the 4-star brands on our scorecard, selling extra product at a reduced rate – or it may come from a 1-star, highly industrialized organic brand, such as Aurora Organic Dairy, Natural Prairie Dairy, and others with alleged misconduct.
Store brand dairy is likely provided by the cheapest supplier available, and the industrial organic dairy providers often require long-term contracts and non-disclosure agreements . Shoppers are left in the dark.
Should I ditch my store-brand dairy?
When you buy Cornucopia top-rated dairy brands, you support the farms that go above and beyond the organic regulations for higher nutrient density, better animal welfare, and deep consideration of land health. Brands scored a four or five on Cornucopia’s scorecards are true stewards and innovators in organics. These brands go above and beyond the minimum standards set by the rules and regulations that provide the floor for organic food.
Still, if a store brand carries the recognizable organic seal, it comes with important assurances. Any product bearing the organic seal offers more transparency than products that are not certified organic.
Organic dairy meets the minimum standards for animal welfare and grazing and helps consumers avoid antibiotic and pesticide residues.
The bare-minimum organic requirements ensure the product is free from synthetic agrichemicals and growth hormones and was produced with more sustainable practices (including avoiding using fossil-fuel-based fertilizers).
Tests have shown that non-organic milk often contain residues of antibiotics and pesticides, including some antibiotics banned for use in all dairy in the US. Residues of synthetic growth hormones were also found in some of the conventional milk samples. Those same tests found no such contaminants in organic milk.
Common store brands
Most of the store brands in the list below offer both organic and conventional lines, so always look for the organic seal if you do buy them!
365 Organic (Whole Foods)
Cadia (KeHe)
Central Market Organics (HEB)
Full Circle (Topco)
Great Value (Walmart)
GreenWise (Publix)
Harvest Farms (Ingles Markets)
Kirkland Signature (Costco)
Market Basket (DeMoulas Super Markets)
Member’s Mark (Sam’s Club)
MOM’s Organic Market
Naturally Better (Aldi)
Nature’s Basket (Giant Eagle)
Nature’s Best (KeHe)
Nature’s Promise (Ahold)
Nature’s Touch (Kwik Trip)
New Seasons Market (Good Food Holdings)
O Organics (Safeway)
Roth Organics (Emmi)
Roundy’s Organics (Kroger)
Simple Truth (Kroger)
Simply Nature (Aldi)
Sprouts
Stew Leonard’s
Sunnyside Farms Dairy (Save Mart Supermarkets)
Trader Joe’s
True Goodness (Meijer)
Wegmans
Wellsley Farm (BJ’s)
Wild Harvest (UNFI)
Wholesome Pantry (ShopRite)
