Aldi Süd’s own products are popular because they impress with their low prices. However, since the topic of health is becoming more and more important, the discounter wants to improve its recipes. A lot is set to change, especially with children’s products.
The discounter Aldi Süd wants to noticeably reduce the sugar and salt content in a number of product groups and no longer advertise unhealthy products specifically for children. The company has now explained that the recipes for muesli and pizza have already been “improved”. By the end of 2025, the private labels in six other product groups are to be adjusted based on the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO). According to the information, mueslis now contain 20 percent less sugar. The salt content of pizzas has been reduced by 15 percent.
“A special focus is on recipe optimization and compliance with the WHO nutritional value profiles for children’s products,” added Aldi Süd with a view to future changes. In addition, by summer 2024, all own brands are to be marked with the Nutri-Score food traffic light.
The consumer organization Foodwatch initially criticized the announcements because the discounter was lagging behind the plans of competitor Lidl for sweets and lemonades and wanted to continue advertising them specifically for children. Later, however, Aldi Süd assured “to apply the advertising barriers to lemonades and sweets based on the WHO nutritional value profile,” said a Foodwatch spokesman. “If this is the case, the plans go as far as Lidl’s. We welcome this step.”
Lidl announced in January that it no longer wanted to actively advertise unhealthy children’s foods such as sugary cornflakes or chocolate pudding. By the end of 2025, Lidl only wants to sell food with a children’s look on the packaging of its own brands if they meet the WHO criteria for healthy food. Exceptions should remain promotional items for Christmas, Easter and Halloween. Foodwatch criticizes that these seasonal items often remain in the range for a very long time.
