Members of Costco know about the warehouse club’s astronomically low rates, but it also sells a wide variety of groceries that rivals the offerings of many of its competitors.
With a wide selection of groceries and good quality meat, you can get all of your fresh meats at the same time, like most grocery stores! On the other hand, you might be wondering where does Costco get their meat from? See what I found out!
In 2022, where will Costco’s meat come from?
Costco imports and sources beef from a variety of farms and suppliers across the world, with the majority coming from the United States and Australia.
In addition, all of Costco’s pork, poultry, and veal are produced by American farmers, while lamb and fish are frequently sourced from abroad sources. Costco takes food safety seriously, so you can rest assured that regardless of the origin of one of their meat products, they will be some of the highest quality meat on the market.
You can buy any Costco meat products with most forms of payment, such as credit cards, debit cards, and even EBT.
If you want to learn more about Costco’s meat supply chain, keep reading!
Where does Costco beef come from?
In order to keep up with the huge demand for beef inventories, Costco relies on a large number of suppliers, although most Costco beef suppliers are California farmers in the San Joaquin Valley, for almost all its beef.
There are no exceptions to the USDA requirements on producing and processing beef at meat processing plants for commercial sale at Costco’s suppliers, who all meet or exceed them. This includes all of their quality beef products, such as steaks and ground beef.
For E.coli 0157:H7, Costco meat is tested before slaughter on a regular basis. The American Meat Institute in their Recommended Animal Handling Guidelines also require Costco to conduct animal welfare checks at slaughter.
Where does Costco’s organic beef come from?
In addition to California cattle farms, Costco’s organic meat is acquired from overseas vendors. Costco does not stock organic beef that has been given hormones or antibiotics, as required by the National Organic Program in the United States.
In addition, Costco guarantees that all national standards for manufacturing organic meats are fulfilled by these suppliers in order to provide the greatest quality meat possible from overseas organic beef suppliers situated in Canada and Australia.
Both the Canadian and Australian cattle used in Costco’s beef products are fed only on organic grass.
Where does Costco’s veal come from?
With a variety of veal products sold, such as veal legs and veal cutlets, Costco is a great place to buy veal. Approximately 120 American farms, notably Buckeye Veal Farm in Ohio, supply the bulk of Costco’s veal supply. Atlantic Veal and Lamb of New York is Costco’s primary veal supplier.
In order to ensure that all Costco veal is traceable to the farm level, Costco animal welfare auditors frequently check all farms to assure 100% compliance with welfare and quality standards.
Costco also has a strict veal policy that involves inspections, meals, housing, barn standards, veterinarian visit cycles, and more for the farm suppliers.
Where does Costco’s chicken products come from?
A Costco chicken farm and processing plant south of Fremont, Nebraska, provides all of the company’s chicken goods for the retailer’s chicken aisle.
All of Costco’s chicken product demands are met by this Costco-owned chicken handling programs, which are fully integrated.
All buildings, warehouses, equipment, and poultry handling processes are created with animal welfare in the forefront, and it has been serving as the exclusive supplier of Costco chicken since 2019.
Where does Costco pork products come from?
With its Kirkland Signature brand pork goods, Costco relies on JBS Swift USA pig farming, situated in Indiana, to supply pork primal cuts and bacon and ham for its Kirkland Signature brand pork products.
Tyson and Perdue are just two of the many meat processing facilities that provide Costco with pig products.
Pork quality assurance is a producer-driven program that assures that farmed pork products are safe and of good quality, and that the animals are well cared for. Costco has a stringent Pork Quality Assurance Program, from raising the livestock to being handled in a processing facility.
Where does Costco’s lamb come from?
Tender, high-quality lamb products, such as their chop ready racks, are imported from Australian farms by Costco. These farms are noted for their grass-fed, pasture-raised lambs.
Artificial chemicals, hormone growth boosters, and antibiotic treatments are all absent from Costco lamb.
Where does Costco’s fish come from?
Costco’s fish goods originate from a variety of sources, most of which are international. Costco sources their fish from a variety of sources in order to ensure that it is as fresh and high-quality as possible. Many of these suppliers use natural populations for their fishing, as opposed to large commercial farms, which is better for animal welfare.
This includes countries in South America and Latin America as well as Costa Rica, Norway and Southeast Asia as fishing destinations outside of US waters. Some of the seafood sold at Costco also comes from the Canadian Atlantic region.
Costco also keeps an updated list of endangered wild species and will not sell or stock from fisheries that negatively damage those species using their fishing equipment.
Bottom Line
Costco meats are mostly derived from American farmers, however some are imported from meat processing facilities overseas. Foreign producers of fish, lamb, shellfish, and some beef products provide a portion of the market. These producers are mostly based in Canada, Australia, and Southeast Asia.
Costco chickens are raised and processed entirely on their own private farm and manufacturing facility in Nebraska, ensuring their freshness and quality.
You can find out when to get the freshest meats from Costco by knowing when they restock their products.
Frequently asked questions
Does Costco sell good quality meat?
Costco sells high quality meat products, which all meet or exceed the FDA's requirements.
Are the Costco meat prices comparable to the cost of meat elsewhere?
Costco's fresh meat products are usually sold as bulk products, so when you break down the costs, they are usually competitive, or even cheaper, than many of their competitors, such as local grocery stores.
Does it matter where meat products are sourced from?
Not usually. Because all of the meat products sold at Costco meat the United State's requirements and guidelines set by the FDA, meat imported from overseas should be just as safe as the meat that is locally sourced.
