Kirkland Brand Products Made With The Lowest Quality Ingredients

When it comes to private grocery store lines, there are few as well known or as wide-reaching as Costco's Kirkland brand. The celebrated wholesaler professes its dedication to quality in every aspect of the word when it comes to its house-labeled collection of snacks, meats, sauces, spices, beverages, frozen goods, and more. For the most part, consumers have overwhelmingly positive things to say regarding the self-proclaimed caliber of Costco's private assortment of goods.

But as it turns out, not every single item slapped with a Kirkland label in the aisles of your local warehouse will leave you reveling in the superiority of its nutrition label. There are a few Kirkland Signature products in particular that contain ingredients which — in rather stark contrast to the rest of its high-quality offerings — have the potential to make you raise your eyebrows ... and not in a good way. From tuna with shady origins to bacon containing cancer-causing additives to artificially-flavored baked treats, here are the Kirkland brand products made with the lowest quality ingredients.

Canned tuna, with its high-protein and low-fat nutritional profile, has become a popular and portable snack for people all over the country and the world. Sometimes it feels as though there are a million different canned tuna types on the market, their various brand labels littering the aisles of our local grocery store shelves. Costco Wholesale, of course, offers up its very own Kirkland tuna, which — in the company's signature style — comes in a bulk 8-count pack of extra-large 7-ounce cans. However, before you throw a few packs into your cart during your next warehouse walk-through, you may want to consider the quality of the flaky fish within.

The Kirkland Signature Albacore Solid White Tuna is, to its credit, wild-caught. The canned fish has come under fire a number of times for its rather questionable origins ... and the supposed lack of transparency that the Costco corporation displays in regard to the fishing practices surrounding its acquisition. The climate change-focused non-profit organization Greenpeace rated the company a measly 53% for its overall seafood sustainability practices, calling out Costco's tuna in particular as being one of the worst in the industry for its potential connection to slave labor on ships. Yikes. Do shady and allegedly unethical origins speak to a particularly high-quality bite? We aren't so sure.

When it comes to processed meats, one ingredient in particular has caused some serious waves in the industry. Sodium nitrite is a preservative and stabilizer traditionally found in cured meats like jerky, lunch meat, and — you guessed it — bacon. But while this crystalline powder might keep your pork strips from turning an unsavory gray color in your fridge, it also comes with some seriously negative associations. Sodium nitrite has been linked to cancer, heart disease, and neurological problems — a relationship which has caused many brands to say goodbye to the use of it in their processed meats for good.

But not in the case of Costco's Kirkland brand — at least, not when it comes to its bacon product. The ingredients in the Kirkland Signature Sliced Bacon start out innocent, with water, salt, and sugar listed on the label. After these, however, things get a bit more processed. Sodium phosphate, a thickener, and sodium erythorbate, a preservative, show up next, followed finally by the element with the most negative reputation of all: sodium nitrite. Given the potential side effects that can come with repeated indulgence in this last ingredient, you'll have to decide for yourself if the Kirkland Signature Sliced Bacon is one you want sizzling in your pan on a Sunday morning.

Animal crackers are a charming treat that have been popular among snacking children and adults alike since their introduction to the market in the 1800s. While Barnum, Stauffer's, or Mother's are perhaps the most well-known animal cracker-producing brands, Costco has also made a name for itself in the animal-shaped cookie department. Kirkland Signature Organic Animal Crackers seem to promise a higher-quality take on the original with their label, which proudly declares the treat's organic status.

But sadly, the idea that organic always equates to healthy, quality ingredients is wrong. While the palm oil, sunflower oil, cane invert syrup, and cane sugar making up the Kirkland animal crackers are indeed organic versions, these are still considered fillers that come with minimal health benefits. Too much inverted sugar is associated with diabetes and weight gain, sunflower oil used in commercial baked goods is often extremely refined, and palm oil is high in unhealthy saturated fats. Overall, the Kirkland animal crackers are still just that — animal crackers — and follow with the trend of being mostly empty calories, with a heap of added sugar thrown into the mix. Sorry to throw a wrench into your koala, gorilla, and lion-shaped snack session.

Tuxedo cake is named for its alternating chocolate and vanilla flavors, which create a black and white contrasting appearance that is similar to the colors you might don at a formal event. Costco's bakery carries a particularly delicious version of a tuxedo cake, celebrated by shoppers for its moistness, appearance, size, and economic price tag. Its ingredients, on the other hand? Well, those may not make the celebratory list.

The Kirkland Signature Tuxedo Cake is chock full of ultra-processed oils (such as margarine and modified palm oil), thickeners (cellulose and xanthan gum), and additives (like sodium phosphate), among others. In fact, the list on the label is so long, it can be difficult to distinguish ... and would likely take you a fair amount of time and research to dissect and understand fully. Still, we do have to point out that the product is, in fact, a cake: lower-quality ingredients or not, consuming in healthy moderation won't likely do you any harm. If you're craving a slice of this white-and-black deliciousness at your rehearsal dinner or retirement party, no one will judge for letting a less-than-perfect label stop you from enjoying yourself on your special day.

There's nothing more refreshing on a hot day than an ice cold glass of lemonade, so stocking up for your next backyard pool party with Kirkland's lemonade product during your next Costco trip seems like an advantageous option. After all, a two-pack of 96 fluid ounces of lemonade makes for a whopping 192 fluid ounces in all. What's not to love?

Well, perhaps the ingredients with which the Kirkland Signature Organic Lemonade beverage is made — in particular, one bitter-sweet ingredient known as sugar. Though the sugar added to this particular Costco juice option is organic, it's a lot of it — specifically, more added sugar than children and many adults should consume in a day in a single serving. 32 grams of sugar (an unbelievable 29 of which are added) come with each modest-sized 8-ounce glass of Kirkland's lemonade. Seeing as children and women should be obtaining less than 25 grams per day according to the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Heart Association, and adult men no more than 36, this number is pretty staggering ... and doesn't befit a particularly high-quality juice, if we're being honest.

When your palate is craving something other than standard sandwich bread, croissants can swoop in and save the day, spicing up your ordinary jelly toast or typical lunchtime ham sandwich. And Kirkland's croissants, which come in 12-count packs from the wonderfully-smelling bakery department of Costco warehouse, are a particularly beloved version of the flaky pastry. Praised by shoppers everywhere, your taste buds are sure to sing when you pop one of these buttery beauties out of its clam shell container.

But while your palate may thank you for each and every bite, the rest of your body may not. While sporting a relatively short and sweet ingredients label, the Kirkland Signature Butter Croissants are, unfortunately, not composed of a particularly high-quality flour. Instead, this particular Costco product is baked with enriched wheat flour, a refined and highly processed ingredient that is considered lacking in the nutrients that a whole grain flour might provide. Goods made with enriched flour can also cause blood sugar to spike quickly due to their high level of easily digestible carbohydrates — which, as we know, leads to that dreaded blood sugar drop on the back end. A bout of croissant-induced fatigue in the middle of a post-lunch meeting at work doesn't exactly sound enjoyable ... although we're sure that the sandwich preceding it would have been. Whether or not this trade-off is worth it is up to you. 

Ahh, the Kirkland muffins. Arguably the most popular item that the Costco bakery puts out, these dangerously tasty treats come in two-packs of six, making for a total of twelve massive muffins priced at approximately $7.99, depending on location. But while the warehouse's collection of Double Chocolate, Blueberry, Almond Poppy, or Corn-flavored bakery creations might make your mouth water at the mere sight of their moist, crumbly goodness, there are some concerning elements in regard to Costco's muffins' ingredients that warrant some consideration prior to purchase.

Sadly, a slew of iffy ingredients are stuffed within Kirkland's celebrated muffins. An assortment of artificial flavors, enriched flour, preservatives, canola oil, soybean oil, palm oil, mono and diglycerides, and more can be found on nearly every label of Costco's various muffin types. There's also the disclaimer at the bottom of nearly every flavor, informing the eater that the muffins contain bio-engineered food ingredients — in other words, ingredients that were made in a lab and not in nature. Sheesh. We'd say that if you're going to go for it with a double pack of muffins, make sure you read the labels: hopefully, you can decide upon the two flavors with your persona least-offensive ingredients list.

Anyone who has ever shopped at Costco is likely familiar with the company's extensive meat department — most notably, its various chicken options. Aside from Kirkland's famous $4.99 rotisserie chickens, there are also a number of breasts, thighs, and tenderloins up for grabs reading the brand's signature seal. But when it comes to the Kirkland Signature Chicken Breasts in particular, though they present a way to snag a hefty amount of poultry at an economical price, the quality, according to many consumers, leaves a lot to be desired.

The Kirkland chicken breasts are often under fire by shoppers on online forums for being allegedly "woody," a term used to describe chicken with an off-putting, rubbery, and tough texture. This is often a tell-tale sign of chicken being grown too quickly (with the use of genetic modification) on poultry farms; if their bodies develop too quickly, their systems cannot keep up with the strain, and the chickens can develop muscle abnormalities as a result. "It's always unnerving to see chicken breast that large & unsurprising that they are in fact, woody. It's that squeaky chew that just really puts me off," said a user on Reddit on a post discussing Costco's seeming onslaught of woody breasts. Since tough-to-chew chicken often points to unnatural farm-raising practices, these consistent complaints are enough to make us wonder about the quality of the chicken breasts being presented in the aisles of our local warehouse.

When it comes to determining seafood quality, one question always seems to swim to the surface: was the fish in question wild-caught, or farm-raised? Wild-caught fish are generally considered to be of a higher quality on account of their natural, healthier diets, lower exposure to contaminants, and better balance of healthy fats. Farm-raised fish, on the other hand, are often given antibiotics, fed an artificial diet, and exist in an overcrowded or disease-ridden environment — not exactly everyone's idea of a first-class fish platter.

And if you're one of those consumers that considers seafood raised within the confines of a watery farm low-quality, and thus unappealing to eat, then you may want to set those Kirkland Signature Tempura Shrimp back on the shelf. Unfortunately, every frozen-and-fried crustacean in this 30-count box of battered shrimp is farm-raised, according to the official label. If you'd prefer something wild-caught from the deep blue sea to throw over your bed of rice or sautéed veggies at dinnertime, perhaps try checking out Kirkland's Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon or its Kirkland Signature Raw Sea Scallops, instead.

Enchiladas are a satisfying meal by all accounts, but making them from scratch in the middle of a busy week can feel like quite a feat. Cue Kirkland's Signature Enchilada Bake, a pre-assembled, ready-to-cook foil pan of fresh chicken-and-cheese-filled enchiladas, available from the fresh deli section of your local Costco warehouse. But while this particular Kirkland meal will certainly save you some time, it will not, sadly, save you from exposure to some less-than-stellar ingredients.

There's a high price to pay for convenience when it comes to the Kirkland Signature Enchilada Bake, from both a quality and health standpoint. With a long, cringe-inducing ingredients label, this ready-made casserole is stuffed with controversial additives, preservatives, and cheap refined oils; some of which include high fructose corn syrup, mono and diglycerides, dextrose, palm oil, and others. Considering this, we wonder whether or not it's worth sacrificing the time to whip up our own easy batch of homemade chicken enchiladas to fill our bellies with something a bit higher-caliber on Mexican food night. 

Whether it's lunchtime at a baseball game or dinner during a cookout with family and friends, you'd better believe that hot dogs will be making an appearance. Various versions of the quintessentially American treat have been developed across grocery store brands — Costco's Kirkland included. But before you decide on the Kirkland Signature Beef Hot Dogs to be the front-running protein at your next event, take a look at the elements making up this particular Costco product.

The Kirkland hot dogs contain sodium nitrite — a curing agent that has a known link to cancer. In addition, there are a number of preservatives (such as sodium erythorbate and dextrose) to be found within each beef frank. Although it's reasonable to expect some amount of preservatives to be found within a processed meat product, the combination of these questionable ingredients does not evidence a particularly high-quality hot dog variant. Additionally, the Kirkland dogs stand out for being high in sodium, with 530 milligrams per serving. This is almost a quarter of an adult's recommended daily limit of sodium in a single shot. That being said, we simply aren't convinced you're faring any better (and in some cases, you may actually be faring worse) than with any other processed grocery store hot dog from a quality standpoint with Kirkland's take.

Other than jelly, what pairs well with a scoop of creamy peanut butter? Pretzels, of course. This classic salty-and-sweet combination is so well-loved that it has led to many peanut-butter-filled pretzel variants being produced and stacked in the snack aisles of grocery stores everywhere. One of these is Costco Wholesale, which has one particularly delicious Kirkland-produced peanut butter pretzel up for grabs: the Kirkland Signature Peanut Butter Filled Pretzel Nuggets.

But while these pillow-shaped crunchy bites may deliver on the perfect ratio of salty and sweet, they may not be king of the peanut butter pretzel wars from a quality standpoint. This is mostly due to the peanut butter used within each nugget, which is filled with a controversial emulsifier called mono and diglycerides. This is interesting, given that Kirkland's standard containers of Organic Creamy Peanut Butter are free of the additive, containing only organic peanuts and sea salt. Why a different, more processed peanut butter variant is used to fill the Kirkland pretzel nugget product, we can't say. Will you be purchasing them anyway, or heading down a different aisle in search of a superior version with which to fill your cart? The choice is yours.

To create our list of Kirkland products made from lower quality ingredients, product label information was pulled from Costco's official website, retail websites such as Amazon and Instacart, as well as consumer-run blogs, as applicable. The quality of each said label was subsequently determined using a mix of nutritional and financial information surrounding the product's ingredients, including the caliber and cost of additives, emulsifiers, preservatives, and others. That being said, it's important to note that nutritional needs can vary among individuals, and quality may be assessed differently under varying sets of parameters.