Are Trader Joe's Pound Plus Bars Really Made By Callebaut?

There's a hot new game for the grocery nerds and the eagle-eyed shoppers. At Trader Joe's, known for their deep deals and products you can't get anywhere else, people are realizing these very products are made by the same brands you can get... almost everywhere else. Let us explain. Trader Joe's barely sells private label brands, instead stocking shelves with mostly themed, in-house brands. It's a critical piece of their strategy for keeping prices so low. 

However, their goods aren't made by magical elves at a Trader Joe's factory, but in most cases by well-known manufacturers, then labeled with TJ's branding. Case in point, there's a popular hummus brand behind their dips. So, what should we make of the rumors that there's a premium chocolate maker behind their beloved Pound Plus chocolate bars? Online sleuths speculate that the reason the super jumbo bars are so good is because the famed Belgian chocolate maker, Callebaut, makes them. 

The bars, truly weighing a hefty pound plus as the name says, contain very few ingredients and yield a buttery texture and a rich, smooth flavor. Offered in a range of chocolate varieties, from milk to dark, the bars explicitly say on the back of the label, "made exclusively for Trader Joe's in a small town outside of Antwerp by confectionary artisans known for producing perhaps the finest chocolate in the world." Do you know what town just happens to be based outside of Antwerp and known for premium chocolate? Wieze, the Belgian base where Callebaut chocolate is still primarily made. 

Dedicated internet sleuths and chocolate enthusiasts who have discerning palates have taken to Reddit and online chats to try to pin down just who's behind the supersized bars. Perhaps the biggest tell-tale clue driving the rumor mill is the text on the back of the bars stating, "made in Belgium," where the Callebaut brand has long been based. Others point out that it's very possible the bar itself is made by one manufacturer, likely in Belgium, and packaged elsewhere. 

Of course, it could be another Belgian chocolate maker entirely. Trader Joe's itself is notoriously tight lipped on the topic of who makes their private label fare and keeps some details under lock and key. We'll probably never known who makes their wines, for example. This is not surprising, as it's not supposed to appear that it's anything but a private label, so they're very likely never going to come right out and say it's Callebaut. 

But the internet agrees; it's either Callebaut, or another premium chocolate option like Guittard, meaning you're scoring high-quality, premium chocolate at Trader Joe's prices — a true win-win for chocoholics everywhere. We may never know for sure who makes these bars, but we can safely say they're as delicious as they are economical, and no matter what the label says, worth adding to your list of TJ's staples to stock up on.