The Sustainable Frozen Shrimp That Is Cheapest At Aldi
By now you know that Aldi has a great rep. Let's take a short dive into why. After World War II, German brothers Theo and Karl Albrecht inherited a small suburban grocery store from their mother that they would eventually grow into the wildly popular supermarket chain we know today — a hybrid shortened version of Albrecht Discount (via CNBC). The frugal siblings, committed to offering non-perishable products to consumers at prices well below other grocers, expanded rapidly, opening 100 stores throughout Germany by 1955 and landing in the midwestern United States by 1976 (via Insider).
Since its arrival in the U.S., the low-priced powerhouse has amassed a veritable fanbase of shoppers who are happy to pop their quarter in the cart to shop for anything from basics like produce, meats, and cheeses to weekly "finds" that might include anything from blankets to tool sets. Who doesn't want to stumble across an affordable wine Advent calendar (with potential cheese pairings, of course) on their weekly shopping trip?
Naturally, then, the cheap chain's devotees have plenty of lists of Aldi products they love. One of the newest to add to those ever-growing lists of fave finds just might be the Fremont Fish Market Wild Caught Argentine Shrimp, the sustainable shrimp that shoppers can snag at a price that makes it feel like a steal.
Aldi's sustainable sourcing of shrimp
Fremont Fish Market is an Aldi-owned brand devoted to providing sustainable seafood products (via Aldi). According to the store's site, their seafood has been certified as sustainable by multiple organizations. The company has also formed partnerships that ensure the sustainability of its practices, and they espouse its dedication to transparency in disclosing its seafood's source on its packaging.
According to Ocean Disclosure Project, run by Sustainable Fisheries Partnership, Aldi US's Argentine red shrimp are fished both inshore and offshore and have a sustainability rating of "managed." While "well managed" is the top rating, ODP notes that the fishery is participating in the Fishery Improvement Project (FIP) for both its inshore and offshore fishing practices. Fishery Progress gives more detailed information, citing that both inshore and offshore sourcing of the shrimp by the Argentinian fishery has an "A" rating for their progress on their goals of improving the water and fishing practices, respectively.
In addition to working specifically to improve sustainability at the source, in 2021 Aldi released its goals for greater overall sustainability by 2030 with specific, measurable targets for reductions in waste, packaging, and greenhouse gas emissions (via Meat+Poultry).
The lowest priced frozen sustainable shrimp
Not only can it be a challenge to find sustainable seafood in general, but not every store sells Argentine red shrimp, known for their likeness in flavor to lobster (per Coast to Home). Furthermore, seafood is not necessarily known for its affordability (via Oak and Rowan).
Trader Joe's is affiliated with Aldi and has a similar cult-type following that could actually influence the cost of buying a home near one. TJ's sells frozen one-pound bags of the big, buttery shrimp for $11.99 (at last check) in stores on both the east and west coasts of the United States. With about 20 – 25 shrimp per pound in a bag, the price is pretty reasonable.
However, Aldi's Fremont Fish Market brand has even managed to crush TJ's low cost, with the icy-cold crustaceans clocking in at a cool $10.99 for a frozen bag of the same size. Plus, if you hit the store up in the right season, Aldi Reviewer says you can find frozen, Argentine red shrimp skewers, a prepared tapas-style product in flavors like citrus herb, salted butter and garlic, and chipotle sea salt. The packages are significantly smaller at 8 ounces, but they're also only $6.99 and contain 2.5 servings.
So, the next time you're looking for some sustainable shrimp to steam up or to skewer for kabobs, or you're looking for a lobster dupe at a fraction of the price, Aldi has your crustaceans at just the right cost.