What Italian Sausage Options Does Aldi Carry?
Anyone who shops at Aldi regularly knows that the grocer doesn't have the largest meat section. This is because the chain sells almost no brand-name items and over 90% generic products. When it comes to the sausage selection, however, Aldi shoppers have a fair amount of options including bratwurst, kielbasa, franks, and the list goes on. As far as Italian sausage is concerned, the discount store's offerings are sold under three different brands: Hatfield, Never Any, and the Aldi label.
Hatfield's Italian sausage products are made with pork and their selection at Aldi's includes hot Italian, sweet Italian sausage links, and sweet Italian sausage rope. The brand Never Any also has mild Italian sausage, but it's made with chicken instead of pork. Unlike the other Italian sausage options at Aldi, the Never Any variety is also free of antibiotics, hormones, nitrates, and nitrites.
Lastly, the grocery store's own label is all pork-based and comes in hot and mild varieties. The hot version is exclusively available in link form, while the mild option is offered in both links and ground.
Is Aldi's Italian sausage worth it?
This chain is known for having lower prices and customers can expect the same of the Italian sausage — at least for the Never Any and generic Aldi branded products. They're listed at around $3.50 at the discount grocery store, whereas at Walmart, for example, the Italian sausage typically falls between $4 and $5. However, when it comes to the Hatfield Italian sausages, they are roughly the same price as other retailers. When Aldi carries major brands, it's due to brand loyalty, which would explain why the Hatfield Italian sausages aren't lower.
Overall, customers seem to have positive things to say about the quality of Aldi's Italian sausage for the price, though some have pointed out that the hot Italian sausage from the generic brand isn't very spicy. A YouTube posted by Glenn's Fast Reviews also stated that the sausage is on the salty side, but noted that the Italian seasoning comes through well.
Does Aldi still have plant-based Italian sausage?
Even though Aldi has many Italian sausage options, there currently aren't any options for those who follow a plant-based diet. In the past, the store did sell them under its Earth Grown brand but they no longer do and they were also never replaced with an alternative. Around 2020, customers began noticing they were disappearing from shelves and according to a customer on a Reddit thread a year later, an Aldi employee informed them that the Earth Grown Italian sausages had been discontinued but may come back as a Special Buy.
The good news is that the grocery store is planning to roll out more plant-based products by the end of 2024, expanding its vegan-friendly selection to approximately 1,000. This could mean that a product similar to the Earth Grown Italian sausage will be released. But for now, the only Italian sausage available at Aldi is made with pork and chicken.