Costco has inspired a ton of brand loyalty with its Kirkland Signature label, but a lot of these products are hiding unhealthy ingredients, unethical practices, and just plain disappointing culinary quality.
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00:00Costco has inspired a ton of brand loyalty with its Kirkland Signature label, but a lot
00:05of these products are hiding unhealthy ingredients, unethical practices, and just plain disappointing
00:11culinary quality. With its high-protein and low-fat nutritional profile, canned tuna is
00:17a popular and portable snack for people all over the world. Sometimes it feels as though
00:21there are a million different brands on the market, including Costco's very own Kirkland
00:26which comes in a bulk eight-count pack of extra-large seven-ounce cans. But before you
00:30throw a few of those packs into your cart, you may want to reconsider.
00:34"'Tuna. We should get tuna. Please, no more tuna, okay?"
00:38This albacore solid white tuna is, to its credit, wild-caught, though it has come under
00:43fire for its rather questionable origins. Greenpeace has rated Costco a measly 53 percent
00:49for its overall seafood sustainability practices, while calling out the chain's tuna in particular
00:54as one of the worst in the industry for its potential connection to slave labor on ships.
00:59No matter the quality of the fish itself, it can't justify such an ethical practice.
01:04Sodium nitrite is a preservative and stabilizer traditionally found in cured meats like jerky,
01:09lunch meat, and bacon. While this crystalline powder might keep your pork strips from turning
01:14an unsavory gray, it's not all good news. Sodium nitrite has been linked to cancer,
01:19heart disease, and neurological problems, which has caused many brands to get rid of
01:23it in their processed meats, but not Kirkland's signature bacon.
01:26And that's not the only processed ingredient in these slices, as the thickener sodium phosphate
01:31and the preservative sodium erythorbate are also listed on the label. Considering the
01:36potential side effects of sodium nitrite, you may want to look elsewhere if you want
01:40your frying pan to be sizzling on a Sunday morning.
01:43Animal crackers are a charming treat that have been popular among snacking children
01:47and adults alike since the 1800s. Costco has made a name for itself in this department
01:52as their Kirkland Organic variety seems to promise a higher quality take on the original.
01:56Alas, the idea that organic always equates to healthy isn't exactly correct. The palm
02:02oil, sunflower oil, cane invert syrup, and cane sugar in these animal crackers are indeed
02:07the organic versions, but they're still considered fillers that come with minimal health benefits.
02:12Too much inverted sugar is associated with diabetes and weight gain. Sunflower oil used
02:17in commercial baked goods is often extremely refined, and palm oil is high in unhealthy
02:22saturated fats. Overall, despite the organic label, these are mostly empty calories with
02:27a heap of added sugar thrown into the mix.
02:30Tuxedo Cake is named for its alternating chocolate and vanilla flavors that resemble a certain
02:35popular formal outfit. Costco's bakery carries a particularly delicious version that's celebrated
02:40for its moistness, appearance, and economic price tag. Its ingredients, however, aren't
02:45exactly worth celebrating. The Kirkland Signature Tuxedo Cake is chock full of ultra-processed
02:50oils, thickeners, and additives. It is a cake, after all. Still, consuming it in healthy
02:55moderation probably won't cause any terribly significant harm. If you're craving a slice
03:00of this at a retirement party or during a rehearsal dinner, then nobody should judge
03:04you for indulging a little on your special day.
03:07There's nothing more refreshing on a hot day than an ice-cold glass of lemonade, so stocking
03:12up for your next pool party with Kirkland's Organic Variety sure sounds like a great idea.
03:16Plus, a two-pack of 96 fluid ounces should last you quite a while. What's not to love?
03:21"...two more lemonades!"
03:23Well, perhaps the ingredient list might give you pause, particularly the sugar. Though
03:28the sugar here is organic, there is a lot of it. Specifically, 32 grams per 8-ounce
03:33serving, an unbelievable 29 of which are added. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics
03:38and the American Heart Association, women and children should consume no more than 25
03:42grams per day and adult men no more than 36, so clearly that Kirkland number is a bit too
03:47staggering for comfort.
03:49When you're craving something more than regular old sandwich bread, croissants can swoop in
03:53to save the day. And Costco's 12-count pack of Kirkland Signature Butter Croissants are
03:58particularly beloved. Praised by shoppers everywhere, your taste buds are sure to sing
04:02when you pop one of these buttery beauties out of its clamshell container.
04:06But while your palate may thank you, the rest of your body may not. For one thing,
04:10they're baked with enriched wheat flour, a refined and highly processed ingredient that
04:14lacks the nutrients that a whole grain flour might provide. Goods made with enriched flour
04:19can also cause blood sugar to spike quickly, due to their high level of easily digestible
04:23carbohydrates, which leads to that dreaded blood sugar drop on the back end.
04:27A bout of croissant-induced fatigue in the middle of a post-lunch meeting doesn't exactly
04:31sound enjoyable, no matter how much the sandwich preceding it might have been. Arguably, the
04:36most popular item in the Costco bakery? The dangerously tasty Kirkland Muffins come in
04:41two packs of six, making for a total of 12 massive muffins priced at approximately $7.99,
04:47depending on your location.
04:49But while these delicious pastries might make your mouth water at the mere sight of their
04:52moist, crumbly goodness, there are some concerning ingredients that warrant closer consideration.
04:57An assortment of artificial flavors, enriched flour, preservatives, unhealthy oils, and
05:02more can be found in nearly every variety of these muffins. But if you can't resist
05:06entirely, we recommend that you at least read the labels closely, and pick whichever one
05:11you feel has the least offensive list of ingredients.
05:13You know, a muffin can be very filling.
05:16I know!
05:18Costco may be famous for rotisserie chickens, but those aren't the only tantalizing poultry
05:22products you can buy. The Kirkland Signature Chicken Breasts offer a nice way to snag a
05:27hefty amount of meat at an economical price, but the quality reportedly leaves a lot to
05:31be desired. Multiple Costco shoppers have made their ire clear about these breasts having
05:36an off-putting, rubbery, and tough texture. This is often a telltale sign of chickens
05:40being grown too quickly on farms. If their bodies develop too fast, their systems can't
05:45keep up with the strain, and they can develop muscle abnormalities as a result. As one shopper
05:50put it on the Costco subreddit,
05:51"...it's always unnerving to see chicken breasts that large and unsurprising that they are,
05:56in fact, woody. It's that squeaky chew that just really puts me off."
06:00When it comes to determining seafood quality, one question comes up a lot. Was the fish
06:04wild-caught or farm-raised? The former are generally considered to be higher quality
06:09thanks to their healthier diets, less exposure to contaminants, and better balance of healthy
06:14fats. The latter, on the other hand, are often given antibiotics and fed an artificial diet
06:19while living in overcrowded or disease-ridden environments. If that sounds unappealing to
06:23you, then you may just want to set those Kirkland Signature Tempura Shrimp back on the shelf.
06:27Unfortunately, every frozen and fried crustacean in this 30-count box of battered shrimp is
06:32farm-raised. If you'd prefer something wild-caught from Costco, you could perhaps try the Kirkland
06:37Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon or Raw Sea Scallops instead.
06:42Enchiladas make for a tasty and filling meal, but making them from scratch in the middle
06:46of a busy week can be quite a feat, so Costco comes through with its Kirkland Signature
06:50Enchilada Bake, a pre-assembled, ready-to-cook foil pan of fresh chicken and cheese-filled
06:55enchiladas. But while it will certainly save you some time, it won't save you from exposure
07:00to some less-than-stellar ingredients. There's a high price to pay for the convenience of
07:04the enchilada bake, both in terms of quality and health. This ready-made casserole is stuffed
07:08with controversial additives, preservatives, and cheap refined oils, including high-fructose
07:14corn syrup, mano, and diglycerides, dextrose, and palm oil.
07:18When you consider all this, you might start to wonder if it would actually be easier to
07:22set aside the time to whip up a batch of fresh enchiladas.
07:25"...the whole enchilada."
07:28Whether you're at a baseball game or a family cookout, you'd better believe hot dogs are
07:32one of the stars of the show. There are countless varieties of this quintessentially American
07:37treat, including, of course, Costco's Kirkland version. But before you buy a pack of these
07:41beefy dogs, you'll want to take a closer look at the label. Once again, you have to keep
07:45an eye out for the curing agent sodium nitrite, which is known to be linked to cancer. There
07:50are also a number of preservatives found within each frank. Although that's hardly
07:53a surprise in a processed meat product, the combination of these questionable ingredients
07:58indicates a hot dog that's not particularly high quality.
08:01These dogs also stand out in the wrong way for being high in sodium, with 530 milligrams
08:06per serving. This is almost a quarter of an adult's recommended daily limit in a single
08:10shot. Still, we can't pretend it's likely that you'd be faring any better with any other
08:14processed grocery store hot dog.
08:17Besides jelly, what pairs better with peanut butter more than anything else? Pretzels,
08:21of course. So it's no surprise that you can find plenty of peanut butter-filled pretzels
08:25in all sorts of grocery stores, including Costco. But while the Kirkland Signature Peanut
08:30Butter-Filled Pretzel Nuggets may deliver on the perfect ratio of salty and sweet, it
08:34turns out that they may be lacking in quality. This is mostly due to the peanut butter itself,
08:39which is filled with controversial emulsifiers known as mono and diglycerides. This is a
08:44little odd when you consider that Kirkland's standard containers of organic creamy peanut
08:48butter are free of this particular additive. We can't say for sure why the Kirkland team
08:52decided to use a different type of PB to pair with its pretzels, but we can say that we
08:57don't think that it was a very good idea.