The Surprising Ingredients Trader Joe's Won’t Put in Its Products

Don't worry, you won't miss any of them.

Who doesn’t love Trader Joe’s? The store has so many reasonably-priced products that shoppers can’t get elsewhere. When my kids were younger, they couldn’t get enough of the jarred Trader Giotto’s Bruschetta piled on toasted slices of Italian bread and sprinkled with fresh Parm. The potstickers from the store's frozen food aisle were also a favorite.

Did you know Trader Joe’s has a podcast? It’s called, aptly enough, Inside Trader Joe’s. Hosted by the company's marketing director, Tara Miller, and VP of marketing products, Matt Sloan, the podcast focuses on all things Trader Joe’s.

In "Episode 47: Trader Joe’s Designs Delicious," the hosts chat with the TJ’s employees who design the packages and labels for many of the brand’s products. One of the insights that came out of their banter-ish discussion was this nugget of info: There are some ingredients that Trader Joe’s does not allow in any of its private-label products.

These banned ingredients are part of Trader Joe’s brand promise. We took a look at that promise to find out exactly what ingredients TJ’s private-label foods will never contain.

7 Ingredients You'll Never Find in Trader Joe's Products

Artificial Flavors

Trader Joe’s food tastes like natural food, not chemically altered food. No “synthetic chemical mixtures that mimic a natural flavor in some way” are ever in its branded products. You’ll find only “natural flavors” in its brands.

TJ’s puts the FDA’s definition of natural flavors right on its website: “the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products there of, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional."

Artificial Preservatives (Most)

Preservatives are necessary for many foods so they don’t spoil, lose color, or lose nutritional value, but not all preservatives are created equal. The company won’t use synthetically produced chemical preservatives like disodium ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid or butylated hydroxyanisole. TJ’s makes an exception for two chemicals: sulfur dioxide and potassium sorbate which are used in some of the brand’s dried fruits. The chemicals are clearly labeled on the products and TJ’s offers alternative products without those chemicals.

What does Trader Joe's use to preserve the majority of its products? It uses natural preservatives like sugar, salt, vinegar, celery juice, and/or rosemary extract.

Artificial Colors

The company won’t use artificial colors like FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow No. 5, or FD&C Blue No. 2 which are “derived from coal tar and are processed and manufactured chemically.” It only uses naturally derived colors from plants and minerals. Healthline reports that some artificial colors may be carcinogens.

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)

Trader Joe’s does not include the flavor enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG) in its products. The company’s website doesn’t give an explanation as to why, but according to Mayo Clinic, people have reported to the FDA about adverse reactions they believe are from MSG. Those reactions include symptoms like headaches, chest pain, nausea, and weakness.

Genetically Modified Ingredients (GMOs)

GMOs, also known as genetically engineered (GE) foods, are changed at the DNA level using genes from other plants or animals. Back in 2001, Trader Joe’s determined that the majority of its customers would rather not have genetically modified ingredients in their food, so the company eliminated them from its branded products. It cannot guarantee, though, that “animal products (meat, dairy, and some farmed fish) sold under the Trader Joe's label are raised on only non-GMO feed.”

Partially Hydrogenated Oils

Partially hydrogenated oils include artificial trans fats, and Trader Joe’s ensures that its branded products are artificial trans-fat free. The National Library of Medicine reports that trans fats—both naturally occurring trans fats and artificial trans fats—can raise a person’s LDL (bad) cholesterol while lowering HDL (good) cholesterol. The combination can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Bleached Flour

This one isn’t mentioned in Trader Joe’s brand promise, but during the podcast, the guests said that none of Trader Joe’s branded products include bleached flour. Chemicals are used to bleach flour to speed up the aging process, whiten it and give it a “slightly softer texture and finer grain.”

All of the ingredients that Trader Joe’s bans from its branded products are FDA approved, but many consumers choose to avoid some or all of them based on personal preference. With Trader Joe’s brand promise to never use these sometimes unwelcomed ingredients, it’s just one more reason why everyone loves Trader Joe’s.