6 Aldi Store Brands Many Virginians Say Beat the Name Brands

Aldi says it’s removing dozens more ingredients from its store-brand foods by the end of 2027.

That could change what’s in your cart, and it’s one more reason the brands many Virginians swear by are worth a second look.

Here’s which Aldi store brands shoppers say beat the name brands, and what to know about the changes.

1. Mama Cozzi’s

Mama Cozzi’s pizza had been voted a favorite product every year since Aldi launched its Fan Favorites survey in 2019.

Aldi’s survey lets shoppers vote for favorites in categories like wine, meat, seafood and cheese.

In 2022, Aldi made it the first Fan Favorite inducted into its Hall of Fame.

At the time, the extra-large pizzas were 16 inches and came in five varieties, including Pepperoni, Five Cheese and Supreme.

Aldi says its exclusive brands “taste as good as (some even say better than) national brands.”

If you’ve skipped the store-brand pizza before, many shoppers say a Mama Cozzi’s pizza stacks up against the name brands at other grocery stores.

A limited-time Mama Cozzi’s Big Dill ham and dill pickle pizza arrived in Aldi’s Finds aisle on Oct. 21, 2026.

Since the Big Dill pizza is limited-time, your store may not have it anymore.

2. Simply Nature

Simply Nature is Aldi’s organic line, and it has nearly 200 organic products, along with items that avoid genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

In 2020, 80 Simply Nature products earned the Good Housekeeping Nutritionist Approved Emblem after registered dietitians at the Good Housekeeping Institute evaluated them.

Products that earned it include organic chicken breasts, black bean spaghetti and quinoa.

Aldi’s food philosophy page says you can spot the GMO-avoiding items by the Non-GMO seal.

The same page says Simply Nature doesn’t use 127 artificial ingredients.

In 2022, Simply Nature White Cheddar Puffs won the Kiddy Cravings category in Aldi’s Fan Favorites survey.

Pantry Staple went to Simply Nature Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil that year.

3. Specially Selected

Aldi’s Specially Selected line runs from cheese to wine.

If you’re deciding on dinner, Specially Selected ravioli won the What’s for Dinner? category in 2022, beating seven competitors.

In 2024, shoppers voted two Specially Selected products Fan Favorites.

Charcuterie Favorite went to Specially Selected Aged Cheese, and Wine Time went to Specially Selected Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.

Both were among the 13 products shoppers picked that year.

4. Earth Grown

Earth Grown started as an Aldi Finds item in 2018, then moved into the regular lineup.

Aldi described it as the fastest introduction of an Aldi-exclusive brand to market, as Frozen Foods Biz reported.

Aldi describes the Earth Grown line as plant-based.

In 2021, 34 Earth Grown products earned the Good Housekeeping Seal.

If you're cutting back on meat, the sealed list included veggie burgers, meatless meatballs and meatless chicken tenders.

The list included a variety of nondairy ice creams.

5. Clancy's

In September 2025, Aldi named Clancy's among the brands that will remain on shelves through its packaging refresh.

Clancy's Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips won the DoorDash Delights category in Aldi's 2024 Fan Favorites survey.

Mama Cozzi's Deli Pizza shared the title, so the vote ended in a tie.

6. Little Journey

Little Journey is Aldi's baby and toddler line, and more than 50 of its products had earned the Good Housekeeping Seal by 2019.

The products named included newborn diapers, wipes, baby wash and organic puree pouches.

If you're stocking up for a baby, many shoppers say Little Journey diapers and wipes hold up against the name brands.

Experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute evaluated and tested those products.

Aldi tells shoppers who want to avoid bisphenol-A (BPA) that they can shop Little Journey and Simply Nature.

Fan Favorites Vote

About 100,000 shoppers answered Aldi's 2022 Fan Favorites survey, which offered 100 Aldi-exclusive products to choose from.

Because every choice on that 2022 ballot was an Aldi product, a Fan Favorite win doesn't show how a product ranks against a name brand.

By 2024, the survey had run for six consecutive years.

Aldi says it uses the results to decide what comes back to its shelves through a category called Aldi Encore.

In 2024, the Aldi Encore category let you choose one limited-edition Aldi Find to bring back, and the Huntington Home Swedish Dish Cloth won.

Award Count

Aldi's awards page says its products have won more than 2,100 awards since 2017, based on a February 2026 audit of everyday nationally distributed Aldi-exclusive products.

Product of the Year is among them.

More than 40,000 shoppers take part in that annual survey, and the research company Kantar carries out the voting.

They compare products with well-known brand alternatives, the same comparison you may make at the shelf.

Wine Enthusiast's blind taste tests of submitted Aldi wines are another source of ratings, and reviewers may know general product details but never the producer or retail price.

Ingredient Removals

Aldi is removing 44 more ingredients from its private label food, vitamin and supplement products by December 2027, and reformulated products will roll out in phases.

That raises the restricted ingredient list from 13 to 57.

Examples of ingredients on the way out include titanium dioxide, talc and neotame.

Dyes such as Red No. 40 and Yellow No. 5 were part of the first 13, removed more than a decade ago.

Aldi says it was one of the first national grocers to remove certified synthetic colors from its exclusive products, in 2015.

Packaging Refresh

Aldi announced its largest packaging refresh yet in September 2025.

Aldi's packaging release says its exclusive products will carry either the Aldi name or an Aldi Original endorsement.