The Company That Supplies Fruit To Costco, Trader Joe's, Aldi, And More

While typically just a weekly chore, grocery shopping nonetheless can inspire a loyal passion. Many customers carry an allegiance to a particular chain, feeling preferential to the available products and atmosphere. Perhaps you're the type who's snagging the most in-demand items at Trader Joe's, or are after the hidden gems of Costco's premade food – often a particular niche keeps shoppers interested.

However, a surprisingly sizable portion of grocery store products come from a single source. Many items you see on shelves are created and distributed by large conglomerates, oftentimes rebranded under private labels for each individual store. When it comes to frozen fruit, one major supply source is the Scenic Fruit Company. It's a supplier for stores like Costco, Trader Joe's, ALDI, and more. The producer distributes nationwide to Trader Joe's, where you'll find Scenic Fruit-sourced products like organic tropical fruit blends. And the company appears regionally in a further range of other grocery chains. So when you're shopping for frozen fruit, keep in mind that it's all possibly by way of a single enterprise from Gresham, Oregon.

The packaging of private-label produce in grocery stores can sometimes make it seem like the food is sourced from local farmers or the store's own private farm — even if they're actually from the same supplier other grocery stores are using across the country. In reality, only 15% of grocery expenditures actually go back to farmers, with the rest distributed to later stages of the supply chain, like processing and marketing. Undoubtedly, the companies in charge of processing and manufacturing fruit are critical for grocery stores. They are the ones who gather the fruit from varying sources, then freeze and package, allowing for easy distribution directly to the consumer.

The Scenic Fruit Company is in charge of precisely such a task. While the company doesn't disclose its partnership deals, the business does advertise its malleable labeling ability on its website. From the same processing facility, the company can package frozen fruit for different grocery stores, contained in sizes from 4 ounces to 5 pounds. Its products meet organic food standards and come in a wide variety. While especially known for its blueberries, the Scenic Fruit Company also supplies foods like boysenberries, blackberries, rhubarb, cranberries, mango, and pineapple. So with such a wide range of offerings and convenient packaging, it's no surprise that its products end up in retailers across the United States.

One of the downsides of such centralized food production is that processing facilities typically handle large volumes of food at once, leading to increased risks of contamination. While meats and prepared foods often make the headlines for the biggest food recalls in U.S. history, fruit is a surprisingly common category. A series of FDA warnings in 2023 are precisely how the expansive distribution network of the Scenic Fruit Company came to light: Some of its frozen fruit packages were recalled due to potential risks of Hepatitis A and Listeria monocytogenes. That recall affected products at Costco, Trader Joe's, Aldi, and more. (These recalls have now ended, so no need to worry about associated dangers.)

Nevertheless, when shopping in big brand stores, stay aware regarding recent recall information — and not just so you can find out which company supplies your favorite store's top snacks. According to a report by the U.S. PIRG Education Fund, the FDA and USDA issued more than 300 food recalls in 2023. It's especially important to pay attention to recalls if you have allergies; nearly half of recalls noted in the same report involved unlisted allergens. While typical consumer risk remains low, it's one of the disadvantages of such an interconnected supply chain — especially since shoppers often aren't given information regarding their product's origins.