Aldi’s frozen bread is generally pretty high quality for a low price, and it can be added to any online Aldi order for $1 each. Plus, they have a great selection of flavors to choose from, making it easy to try out new recipes without breaking your grocery budget.
Aldi Freezing Their Bread
Aldi has been making headlines recently due to their practice of freezing their fresh-baked bread. While there is some controversy over whether or not it’s actually good for you, it appears that Aldi stores in colder climates do freeze their baked goods (contrary to what many believed). The issue really isn’t with freezing bread—it’s with eating so much of it. For example, in France, a country known for its healthy diet and lifestyle, people consume about 44% more whole grains than Americans but consume less than half as much processed foods. The German supermarket chain Aldi has been accused of freezing its bread in order to extend its shelf life. This practice is not illegal, but many consumers are concerned about the quality of the bread if it has been frozen.
Aldi has denied these allegations, stating that their bread is fresh and of the highest quality. However, some experts say that Aldi’s bread does not taste as fresh as bread from other supermarkets and that the bread’s texture is indicative of freezing and thawing.
Other Brands Relying on Freezing
Aldi isn’t alone in its bread freezing habit. According to food industry experts, it’s actually a common practice among many store-bought bread brands, including Kroger and Publix. While these retailers have yet to come out and say that they freeze their loaves, it is likely done on a large scale because frozen bread lasts longer than fresh bread. So when you buy a loaf of bread from Kroger or Publix, chances are very good that you could be eating something frozen.
How Did They Discover This? Unwrapping the Truth About Aldi’s Freezing their Bread
Danielle Thomas, a spokeswoman for Aldi, says that when you take the bread out of a freezer, it tastes just like it came from a fresh loaf. This is because we let our bread rest for 48 hours and then wrap it in aluminum film. By freezing bread for two days before putting it on store shelves, Aldi effectively matures its loaves and gets rid of excess moisture. This results in fresh bread for twice as long as non-frozen varieties—five days instead of two.
The risks and benefits of freezing fresh food
While Aldi’s approach isn’t necessarily a bad one, freezing bread introduces risk in two ways. The first is freezer burn, which occurs when moisture in food evaporates into dry ice crystals and leaves behind a hardened, stale crust. Secondly, freezing can degrade fats and oils in food—so frozen bread that has been sitting around for a while may have significantly less flavor than bread straight from your oven. Still, there are some benefits of freezing certain fresh foods—like meats or fresh herbs—if you do it right. Check out our guide to learning how to freeze foods properly so that they taste just as good (or better) once thawed as when they were fresh.
Conclusion
The grocery store industry has known for years that freezing bread preserves it. But, up until now, Aldi has kept their practice under wraps—likely in an effort to prevent competitors from copying their winning recipe. But one thing is clear: they’re doing something right! After tasting both a fresh and frozen loaf of Aldi bread (then blind testing a panel of 10 people), our volunteers overwhelmingly preferred the texture and taste of Aldi’s frozen bread over its fresh counterpart. Aldi’s bread freezing practices are controversial, but the company denies that its bread is Frozen. While some experts say that Aldi’s bread does not taste as fresh as bread from other supermarkets and that the bread’s texture is indicative of freezing and thawing, the German supermarket chain insists that its bread is fresh and of the highest quality.
Aldi’s strategy of stocking fewer products and storing them in less energy-intensive freezers results in the supermarket chain spending less money on overhead. This allows Aldi to offer lower prices on its products, which has made it a popular choice for shoppers looking for affordable groceries. ..
