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Maxwell Shukuya is a staff writer at Cheapism covering tech, travel, product reviews, and personal finance. Based in California, his work has previously been featured in Capital Public Radio, Submerge Magazine, and City on a Hill Press.
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Joe's Origins
Trader Joe’s may seem like an easygoing, carefree brand, but the higher-ups at corporate treat its inner workings more like an intelligence agency than a grocery store. Case in point: even longtime Trader Joe’s employees have no idea who supplies some of the retailer’s most popular products. But nothing stays secret forever. Using Food and Drug Administration recalls, input from superfans, and expert research, we were able to determine some of the major brands behind Trader Joe’s most popular products. Our (top-secret) Trader Joe’s branding intel comes with the proviso that products change, so there’s no guarantee that these are still Trader Joe’s suppliers.
Related: Trader Joe’s Recipes From an Instagram Favorite
Baked Goods: La Boulangerie
After Starbucks killed the San Francisco-based chain La Boulange, the beloved Bay Area bakery reopened under a different name, landing two huge accounts: Costco and Trader Joe’s. Using a 40,000-square-foot factory, the bakery has been pumping out thousands of pastries and loaves of bread daily, some of which travel to Trader Joe’s stores, according to Eater.
Related: The Best Frozen and Ready-to-Eat Meals from Trader Joe's
Dry Roasted Pistachios: Wonderful
Product recalls showthat Wonderful — the same company behind Fiji Water, Pom Wonderful, and Halo mandarin oranges — supplies Trader Joe’s roasted and salted pistachios. The Los Angeles-based company sources its pistachios from over 100,000 acres of farmland in California’s Central Valley.
Related: These Are Trader Joe's Fans' Biggest Gripes About the Store
Hummus: Bakkavor
In a voluntary recall in 2018, Bakkavor said that tens of thousands of its hummus dips had been contaminated by salmonella and listeria. It might be a stretch to call it a silver lining, but the recall also revealed that the international company supplies Trader Joe’s hummus.
Tahini Sauce: Yorgo’s
Trader Joe’s herbed tahini sauce is just repackaged Yorgo’s, according to another listeria recall (yikes!). The FDA report also revealed that the New Hampshire-based company supplied Trader Joe’s since-discontinued cilantro and chive yogurt dip.
Soft-Baked Snickerdoodles: Enjoy Life
If you have a box of these vegan cookies on your shelf, you may want to think twice before taking a bite. In a July 2022 recall,we learned two things: 1) that there could be pieces of hard plastic in the cookies with a Feb. 3, 2023 best by date, and 2) that Enjoy Life — a health-focused sweets and snacks company — bakes these Trader Joe’s treats.
Lemony Arugula Basil Salad: Taylor Farms
This supplier of convenient, pre-washed salad kits has partnered with Trader Joe’s to produce the retailer’s lemony arugula salad. We know because — you guessed it — another recent recallstates that there could be traces of wheat and egg in the salads. But don’t worry too much. Even if you’re allergic to gluten or vegan, the recall has since been terminated.
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Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups: Bazzini
The nut- and dried-fruit supplier Bazzini is behind Trader Joe’s almond butter cups, a posher, more gourmet take on Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Like most products listed here, the FDA revealed the link after Bazzini issued a voluntary recall in 2021.
Restaurant-Style Tortilla Chips: Snak King
The same company behind El Sabroso chips also supplies Trader Joe’s tortilla chips — or at least it did in 2021. Since then, however, the retailer rebranded its chips as Truly Tortilla Chips, and superfans are split as to whether they're the same.
Bottled Smoothies: Naked
In the past, Trader Joe’s purchased some of its smoothies from Naked, a PepsiCo-owned juice brand. Eater discovered the link after submitting Freedom of Information Act requests and comparing the smoothies’ ingredients, many of which are nearly identical.
Ready-To-Eat Meals: Fuji Foods
If Trader Joe’s ready-to-eat sushi offerings seem oddly familiar, it’s because they share a supplier with 7-Eleven, Walgreens, and other retailers. The Asian-style pre-made lunch company, Fuji Foods, sells its meals under both the Trader Joe’s and Okami brands, according to a 2019 FDA recall announcement.
Veggie Bowls: Growers Express
Growers Express, best known for its Green Giant brand, also sells its butternut squash and zucchini spirals under Trader Joe’s private label. We knowthis thanks to listeria, the good ol’ bacterium that’s at the center of so many FDA recalls.
Pita Chips: Stacy’s
While the connection hasn’t been confirmed via recall, Eater reports that Trader Joe’s and Stacy’s pita chips share the exact same ingredients. We’ll leave it up to Trader Joe’s fans to decide if they taste the same.
Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies: Tate’s Bake Shop
Tate’s and Trader Joe’s gluten-free chocolate chip cookies share strikingly similar ingredients, and the packages are close to identical, save for the Trader Joe’s branding. That said, Trader Joe’s has ripped off products before — see the retailer’s Daily Facial Sunscreen — so it’s hard to know if it’s collaboration … or inspiration.
Indian Food: Tasty Bite
More than a decade ago, Fortune claimed that Tasty Bite supplied much of Trader Joe’s Indian cuisine, such as the now-discontinued Punjab Eggplant. Whether that’s still the case is up in the air —but the good news is that Tasty Bites’ offerings make good substitutes for discontinued Indian favorites.
Dark Chocolate Pretzels: Snack Factory
Trader Joe’s axed its dark chocolate pretzels in some regions, Redditors say, but you may be able to find an identical replacement: Snack Factory’s dark chocolate pretzel crisps. Eater reports that the pretzels are “identical,” and superfans more or less agree.
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As a seasoned enthusiast in the realm of grocery store supply chains and product origins, let's delve into the intricate web of Trader Joe's sourcing secrets highlighted in Maxwell Shukuya's article for Cheapism. Shukuya, a tech, travel, and personal finance expert based in California, has provided a fascinating glimpse into the covert world of Trader Joe's suppliers. His insights are not only grounded in a thorough understanding of the industry but are also substantiated by evidence drawn from Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recalls, superfans' input, and expert research.
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Baked Goods: La Boulangerie
- Supplier: La Boulangerie
- Background: Following Starbucks' acquisition and subsequent closure of the San Francisco-based La Boulange chain, it resurrected under a new name and secured contracts with both Costco and Trader Joe's. A 40,000-square-foot factory churns out pastries and bread, some of which find their way to Trader Joe's stores.
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Dry Roasted Pistachios: Wonderful
- Supplier: Wonderful
- Background: Wonderful, recognized for products like Fiji Water and Pom Wonderful, is the source of Trader Joe's roasted and salted pistachios. The Los Angeles-based company derives its pistachios from extensive farmland in California's Central Valley.
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Hummus: Bakkavor
- Supplier: Bakkavor
- Background: In a 2018 recall due to contamination by salmonella and listeria, it was revealed that international company Bakkavor supplies Trader Joe's hummus.
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Tahini Sauce: Yorgo’s
- Supplier: Yorgo’s
- Background: Trader Joe's herbed tahini sauce is repackaged from Yorgo’s, as disclosed in a listeria recall. The FDA report also highlighted Yorgo’s supply of Trader Joe's since-discontinued cilantro and chive yogurt dip.
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Soft-Baked Snickerdoodles: Enjoy Life
- Supplier: Enjoy Life
- Background: Enjoy Life, a health-focused sweets and snacks company, was identified as the baker of Trader Joe's soft-baked snickerdoodles, thanks to a July 2022 recall revealing potential hard plastic pieces.
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Lemony Arugula Basil Salad: Taylor Farms
- Supplier: Taylor Farms
- Background: Taylor Farms, a supplier of pre-washed salad kits, partners with Trader Joe's for the production of the lemony arugula salad, as evidenced by a recent recall mentioning traces of wheat and egg.
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Dark Chocolate Almond Butter Cups: Bazzini
- Supplier: Bazzini
- Background: Nut- and dried-fruit supplier Bazzini is the force behind Trader Joe's almond butter cups, a gourmet alternative to Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, as disclosed in a 2021 voluntary recall.
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Restaurant-Style Tortilla Chips: Snak King
- Supplier: Snak King
- Background: Snak King, the company behind El Sabroso chips, previously supplied Trader Joe's tortilla chips. Although the chips were rebranded as Truly Tortilla Chips, there is debate among superfans about whether they remain the same.
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Bottled Smoothies: Naked
- Supplier: Naked
- Background: Trader Joe's sourced some of its smoothies from Naked, a PepsiCo-owned juice brand, as uncovered through Freedom of Information Act requests and ingredient comparisons by Eater.
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Ready-To-Eat Meals: Fuji Foods
- Supplier: Fuji Foods
- Background: Fuji Foods, a provider of Asian-style pre-made lunches, supplies ready-to-eat sushi offerings to Trader Joe's. This information was revealed in a 2019 FDA recall announcement.
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Veggie Bowls: Growers Express
- Supplier: Growers Express
- Background: Growers Express, renowned for the Green Giant brand, sells butternut squash and zucchini spirals under Trader Joe's private label, as exposed through a listeria-related FDA recall.
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Pita Chips: Stacy’s
- Supplier: Stacy’s
- Background: Though not confirmed through recall, Eater reports that Trader Joe's and Stacy’s pita chips share identical ingredients, leaving it to superfans to discern any taste similarities.
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Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies: Tate’s Bake Shop
- Supplier: Tate’s Bake Shop
- Background: Strikingly similar ingredients and nearly identical packaging point to a potential collaboration or inspiration between Tate's and Trader Joe's gluten-free chocolate chip cookies.
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Indian Food: Tasty Bite
- Supplier: Tasty Bite
- Background: Fortune's claim more than a decade ago suggested that Tasty Bite supplied much of Trader Joe's Indian cuisine, including the now-discontinued Punjab Eggplant. Current confirmation remains uncertain.
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Dark Chocolate Pretzels: Snack Factory
- Supplier: Snack Factory
- Background: Trader Joe's discontinued dark chocolate pretzels may have an identical replacement in Snack Factory’s dark chocolate pretzel crisps, as reported by Eater, with superfans agreeing on their resemblance.
