Trader Joe’s Shopping Guide – The TFT Reader Investigation Continues…

Over the course of this investigation, we’ve uncovered a number of details about how the private-label food business works, not least of which is information about who makes what for which stores. We’re working on uncovering more information about Wal-Mart and CostCo, so please drop us a line at investigations@thefastertimes.com if you happen to know anything about how either of those stores sources food, or want to help us find out more.

In the meantime, we’ve put together a decent guide to Trader Joe’s products, pasted below. If any of you would like a pdf to print out at home, just email us and we’ll send you one. And of course, please feel free to leave a comment here or email us with any additions to the guide.

One bit of news: This morning reader Amy Carson wrote to give us a heads-up on a bit of Trader Joe’s trivia that’s very important for those on a raw food diet. Apparently, whether products in Trader Joe’s stores are labeled raw or not, they are pasteurized, which makes them off-limits for those on a raw food diet. This includes all of the stores’ nuts and its “raw” almond butter as well. In Trader Joe’s defense, this is probably part of an effort to protect itself from any liability incurred by people eating unpasteurized items, getting sick and then suing the store, but nonetheless the labeling should match the product. Amy pointed us to this site for more information.

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And now, the guide:

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