The Costco Product Shoppers Think Has Seriously Gone Down In Quality

Costco is the land of big and bulk. The warehouse retailer is a legendary one-stop shop for everything from 27-pound tubs of mac and cheese to shiny diamond rings. Members love to visit Costco's food court for a chicken bake or one of its Kirkland brand hot dogs and soda combos. In fact, items sold under the retailer's house brand consistently rank among their favorite finds. One product that has developed a bit of a cult-like following over the years is Kirkland Signature bacon. Four, one-pound packages of these sweet and savory breakfast strips is a deal that shoppers don't want to pass up. 

However, according to some members, the quality of this longtime favorite has gradually declined over time. Costco members took to Reddit to express their displeasure with the bacon's lack of thickness, which causes it to easily fall apart before it ever makes its way to a frying pan. As one Redditor shared, "I gave them the benefit of the doubt 3 months ago that maybe i got a bad batch. But I've bought their bacon 3 more times since then and every batch has been like this. So paper thin I can't even hold it up without it falling apart." This comment opened the floodgates for others to follow.

Tons of other Reddit users chimed in, affirming that they, too, had major issues with Kirkland Signature bacon — which is just one Costco food item with a cult following. One responded with, "Unfortunately strong agree. The last pack I opened had the structure of Halloween decor cobwebs. BOOOOOO." Another noted an inconsistency in the bacon strips even within a single package, writing, "Super thin, torn up pieces in the front, normal strips in the middle, and very thick pieces at the end that cook more like jerky than bacon haha." Keep in mind that this hickory smoked bacon is proudly advertised as "thick sliced bacon." 

This may have you wondering what company makes Costco's Kirkland brand bacon. Well, no one is confirming it, but Allrecipes clarified that it's definitely not Hormel. Instead, all signs point to Virginia's own Smithfield Foods, the world's biggest processor of pork; but there is no confirmation that it is. Regardless of which big brand is behind Costco's private label, if you find the bacon you purchase from this retailer to be thin and stringy or all fat and no meat, you can always return it. Costco has a 100% satisfaction guaranteed policy that allows members to return Kirkland Signature bacon within 90 days of purchase. So, don't suffer and fry Kirkland brand bacon strips that are anything less than perfect.