People love Costco because it has long aisles and great deals on bulk purchases. It has become a shopping destination for millions of people. (We love Costco here at Cheapism, too, in case you havent noticed. But while many of its products are good quality and a good value, smart shoppers say you should stay away from some seafood items.
Some seafood items at Costco might not be worth buying because of where the seafood comes from or health or environmental concerns. Here are 10 Costco seafood items to avoid.
Because fish farms are so crowded, some farm-raised salmon may have more parasites than wild-caught salmon. This is because fish farms are perfect places for bacteria and diseases to grow. It also hurts local ecosystems because farmed salmon pollutes them with nutrients, uses a lot of land and water, and makes more people want wild-caught fish as feed.
You can buy farm-raised salmon in packs of six to eight at Costco, but wild-caught salmon is better. It costs a little more, but it’s usually better in terms of quality and taste, and it has more omega-3 fatty acids. “Farmed salmon doesn’t have the same nutritional profile and is often dyed,” one Reddit user wrote in a thread.
To make sure the shrimp you buy were raised in safe conditions, look at the country of origin and buy U.S. S. -made whenever possible.
Wandering the freezer aisle at your local Costco it’s hard to resist grabbing one of those hefty 2-pound bags of frozen cooked shrimp selling under the retailer’s Kirkland Signature house brand. At under $10 per bag these plump shrimp provide easy protein for pasta, salads, and appetizers. But where exactly do these budget-friendly crustaceans originate?
In this article, we embark on an aquatic journey to reveal the source of Costco’s immensely popular Kirkland Signature frozen shrimp line.
First, let’s provide some background on Costco’s Kirkland Signature brand. These private label products are manufactured by other companies specifically for sale at Costco locations.
Kirkland offers buyers quality comparable to national brands but at Costco’s famously discounted prices It also simplifies sourcing and distribution for the warehouse giant Kirkland Signature items now account for nearly one-third of Costco’s overall sales,
The brand encompasses everything from paper towels to wine, but we’re focused on cracking open the mystery of Kirkland Signature frozen shrimp.
Tracing Shrimp from Farm to Freezer Aisle
Costco does not publicly disclose its suppliers, leaving the exact origins of Kirkland Signature shrimp unclear. But we can deduce the likely journey based on food safety recalls and industry insights:
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Shrimp Species: Black tiger shrimp
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Scientific Name: Penaeus monodon
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Main Countries of Origin:
- India
- Indonesia
- Vietnam
- Thailand
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Process:
- Shrimp farmed in outdoor coastal ponds
- Delivered live to processing facilities
- Heads removed, peeled, deveined, and cooked
- Tail-on, frozen shrimp packed in bulk bags
- Shipped in refrigerated containers to importers
- Sold by importers to Costco for private label
- Distributed to warehouses and finally to retail stores
Now let’s dive deeper into key steps along the extensive farm-to-frozen food journey.
Shrimp Aquaculture in Asia
The countries most likely supplying Kirkland Signature shrimp – India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand – are leading producers of farmed shrimp.
Warm tropical climates allow year-round production in coastal areas. Lower labor costs also enable large-scale shrimp farming and processing operations.
However, sustainability issues like mangrove forest destruction and human rights abuses plague parts of the industry. Costco has a responsibility to monitor its supply chains.
Processing Facilities Clustered Around Farms
Once grown, shrimp are transported alive to coastal processing plants near aquaculture operations. There they are beheaded, peeled, deveined, cooked, and flash frozen.
Food safety oversight at these facilities in developing nations can be lacking. Costco must ensure proper sanitation standards are met across its complex supplier network.
Frozen Shrimp Shipped Around the Globe
After processing, frozen shrimp bags are loaded into refrigerated cargo containers kept below -30°C. They’re shipped by ocean freight halfway around the world to importers.
Globetrotting frozen seafood illustrates how products crisscross oceans before reaching consumers. But it also carries an environmental toll producing tons of carbon emissions.
The Final Leg from Warehouse to Store
Importers truck the frozen shrimp to Costco distribution centers where it enters the company’s own refrigerated supply chain before allocation to individual warehouse stores.
This final leg from Costco DC to shelf underscores how they control product handling, inventory, and prices unlike other retailers.
The Need for Traceability and Accountability
While Costco keeps suppliers anonymous, they must uphold responsibility within their vast, highly-complex private label seafood supply chains.
Consumers increasingly demand transparency about where store brand products originate and how they’re produced. Costco has made strides but still lags behind competitors on supply chain accountability.
Kirkland Brand Offers Premium Quality at Low Prices
Costco’s ability to sell previously frozen tail-on shrimp for around $8 per pound exemplifies the wholesale giant’s unmatched purchasing power and distribution efficiencies.
Yet Kirkland Signature items like shrimp must still meet the company’s rigorous quality standards – a key factor in building trust with members.
Frequently Asked Questions About Kirkland Signature Shrimp
Where exactly Kirkland Signature shrimp comes from still contains some gray areas. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions on the origins of this Costco customer favorite:
Is the shrimp wild-caught or farm-raised?
Kirkland frozen shrimp is farm-raised rather than wild-caught. This allows for year-round availability that Costco requires.
Is the shrimp processed in the U.S.?
No, Kirkland frozen shrimp undergoes processing like peeling and cooking at overseas facilities near the shrimp farms.
Does Costco sell fresh shrimp?
Costco does carry fresh shrimp seasonally, but most locations sell far more frozen Kirkland shrimp on a regular basis.
Is Kirkland Signature shrimp sustainable?
While not certified sustainable, Costco claims Kirkland seafood meets their internal standards for responsible sourcing. But transparency is lacking compared to competitors.
Are there preservatives in the frozen shrimp?
Costco states that Kirkland Signature frozen shrimp contains no preservatives apart from salt used to flavor the cooked shrimp.
The Bottom Line on Kirkland Signature Frozen Shrimp
This deep dive into the opaque supply chains behind Costco’s wildly popular private label frozen shrimp aims to uncover what really goes into bringing these budget 10-pound bags from distant waters all the way to neighborhood freezer cases.
Armed with greater knowledge about the origins of our food, we as consumers can pressure retailers like Costco to demand improved transparency, sustainability, and ethical responsibility from their global seafood providers.
Orca Bay Keta Salmon Fillets
Not only does this brand sound like youre buying fillets made out of orca meat, theyre also “the worst food sold at Costco,” according to one Redditor. “It tasted nothing like normal salmon,” writes the Redditor, adding, “It was dry, fishy, and just off tasting.”
After some research, the user said they first thought they had bought a bad batch but then learned that “Keta salmon, also known as chum, is best known for being DOG food in Alaska because people won’t eat it.” ” Well, yikes — maybe save these for Fido?.
Ahi tuna lends itself well to a variety of seafood-inspired dishes like poke and seared tuna steaks. But according to seafood enthusiasts, Costcos ahi tuna might be subpar.
The 6-ounce single servings come in a heavy 10-pound pack. At first glance, the deep pink color and low price make them look appealing. However, customers say that the meat is “extremely salty” and has an unpleasant texture and taste after being seared. One user even likened it to a “processed hunk of ham,” while another claimed it “tasted like medicine. “.
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Trident Seafoods Fish Sticks
While your kid may beg you to buy fish sticks while shopping at Costco, these frozen fish sticks are covered in a thick, Panko breading that overwhelm the scant and bland fish inside, customers say. As one Redditor points out, “[There was] a lot of breading for the little chunk of fish inside.”
When it comes to nutrition, three sticks have 12 grams of protein, which isn’t very much, and a lot of sodium.