FOOD NEWS
The Aldi Seafood Scandal You May Not Be Aware Of
By Nico Danilovich
Aldi claims its seafood is responsibly sourced with reduced impacts on the oceanic ecosystem at large and that products are often certified by trusted third parties or attain certification. The Sustainable Fisheries Partnership even advises Aldi on their seafood.
However, a lawsuit filed in 2021 alleges Aldi's fresh Atlantic salmon is not sustainably sourced, and that the company uses industrial practices that harm the environment while treating its fish inhumanely. Specifically, Aldi is said to have sourced the salmon from Chile where they are not native and where harmful net pen aquaculture has been used.
This high-risk form of farming crowds fish inside cages, creating a stressful environment for the animals, which even spurs the salmon to hurt one another. That close proximity also facilitates the spread of chemicals, diseases, parasites, and waste.
A court rejected Aldi, Inc.'s motion to dismiss the class-action lawsuit in May of 2022, but no verdict has been reached as of November 2022. Today, consumers continue to shop at Aldi, seemingly forgetting about these disturbing allegations.