There are a lot of myths out there related to food products. But one myth you need to unlearn about Aldi meats is the belief that the chain grocer dyes its meat products red. This has been a rumor for years — back in 2019, a Reddit user in the r/Aldi subreddit commented, “All the meat looks like it’s been pumped with red dye and looks too good to be true.” In 2025, yet another user posted in the same subreddit, appearing stumped that the meat they recently bought from Aldi was, well, very red. Here’s the truth: Aldi for sure does not dye its meat with synthetic red dyes.
In fact, back in 2015, the budget grocer announced that it had stopped using certified synthetic colors to dye any and all of its exclusive brand food products, in a response to feedback from its customers. This means that when you buy meat from Aldi, you know the grocery store hasn’t altered any of its meats with synthetic red dyes. That red liquid and vibrant red shade you see in packaged meat from Aldi these days is most likely just blood and the natural color of the meat and its juice, unless otherwise specified on the packaging label. So while you should think twice before buying bright red cuts of meat, you can rest assured there’s no artificial or synthetic red dyes in Aldi brand meats. But still, you should note that there are meats to buy at Aldi and ones to avoid.
Read more: 16 Aldi Breads, Ranked Worst To Best
While Aldi No Longer Uses Synthetic Dyes, It Does Use Plant-Based Dyes
Aldi Meat Aisle – QualityHD/Shutterstock
Now all this doesn’t mean Aldi never adds anything to alter the color of its meat — the store currently uses plant-based coloring ingredients like paprika and beet juice to dye its food products red, though it’s unclear if meat falls under that umbrella. If you ever spot those ingredients on a package of Aldi-branded raw red meat, then it’s likely the meat was dyed using plant-based ingredients. That said, most shoppers have not come across any Aldi-branded raw red meat that lists plant-based colorants on the label.
Aside from beet juice and paprika, Aldi uses plant-based colorants derived from ingredients like turmeric, which adds yellow color. Aldi uses Annatto extract to dye its store-brand foods, like its cheese curls, reddish-orange. Redditors have discovered other plants-based ingredients Aldi uses to dye its products as well, including blackcurrant, apple, and radish. A few commenters on Reddit express their appreciation of Aldi’s use of plant-based food coloring. One noted, ” I was comparing Fruit Loops and the Aldi version of it. They use turmeric … it’s actually good for you! Tastes good too.” If the plant-based food colorants that Aldi uses concern you, it’s best to always scan the ingredient list on the food product’s packaging before making a purchase.
Read the original article on Tasting Table.
