Formaggi Zanetti Parmigiano Reggiano

The Parmigiano Reggiano can only be used in hard cheeses in some parts of Italy, adhering to tight guidelines as compared to the “Parmesan” that comes in can form.

Anyone who claims their article to be genuine and passes it on to other people can expect a visit from the Consorzio Del Formaggio Parmigiano-Reggiano. The description on the back of Kirkland’s parm claims that this cheese which is around 24 months old is specially chosen by an Italian company that exports cheeses around the world, Formaggi Zanetti.

At present, Costco is also selling shredded Kirkland Signature Aged Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese which is available in one-pound jars with the exception that this product does not bear the Formaggi Zanetti name. Unlike the "Parmesan" from a can, Parmigiano Reggiano can only be applied to hard cheeses created in specific regions of Italy and adhere to tight guidelines.

Humboldt Creamery ice cream

Crystal Creamery bought California’s Humboldt Creamery after announcing its bankruptcy in 2009 and started selling its products through various retailers such as Walmart. According to the report by ABC’S KRCR News in 2016, Humboldt has been producing vanilla ice cream for Costco using Costco's Kirkland Signature house brand.

However, it seems that Humboldt Creamery’s vanilla ice cream has been found with its own name at Costco but both the products have vanished from the shelves of the store several times which might be because the ice cream has not been confirmed yet.

People have positive opinions about Kirkland Signature. “Dontcarebare” on Reddit writes that she will not be buying Häagen-Dazs vanilla again after trying Kirkland Signature’s ice cream for the first time. It has rich and creamy with a strong taste of vanilla.

Diamond Naturals dog food

Websites such as Dog Food Insider believes that the Diamond Food Pets produces Kirkland Signature Dog Food which also goes by the name of Schell and Kampeter, Inc.

That may not be enough proof on its own, but in 2012, the Kirkland brand was included in a Diamond dog food recall followed by a salmonella outburst at Diamond's South Carolina plant. A class-action lawsuit was acted against Costco and the Kirkland brand.

However, there was no news concerning the outbreak with Diamond ensuing the incident. No damage was done to the name of Kirkland and continues to be used the most by pet lovers. “Concerned-23” shares on Reddit that Kirkland adult chicken, rice, and vegetable dog food is no different from the Diamond Natural dog food which is fed to the dog. The vet recommended Kirkland when asked concerning the sensitive-stomach lab.

Starbucks coffee

The low-priced house blends that Costco offers might have left the coffee snobs bewildered. Costco brags about its affiliation with the world’s largest coffeehouse chain.

Kirkland offers various kinds of their house blend, classified by being custom roasted by Starbucks. Starbucks-related bags weighing two and a half pounds contain Kirkland’s Signature House Blend Medium Roast, Espresso Blend Dark Roast, and Decaf House Blend Medium Roast.

A reviewer on influenster.com concerning the House Blend says that its coffee is not similar to what Starbucks’ house blend tastes like. It has an exceptional flavor and is not very acidic. Costco charges a good price and always has fresh and oily beans. Their bag of coffee house blends finishes in about two weeks. He even recommended it to all Starbucks lovers.

Townsend Farms three berry blend

To save up some money you can either buy frozen fruits instead of fresh ones or shop with the private Kirkland Signature label that offers reasonable prices instead of going for a name-brand product.

Townsend Farms, headquartered in the Pacific Northwest is a wholesaler of fresh and frozen berry products. It produces the Kirkland Signature Three Berry Blend and sells both private and branded frozen items.

In 2019, FDA issued a public health warning about the mixed food product, concerning the possibility of hepatitis A virus contamination with Townsend Farms being the supplier behind Kirkland Signature Three Berry Blend and Kroger’s frozen blackberry products. Costco sells raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries supplied by Townsend Farms’ Berry Supreme.

Palermo’s frozen pizza

There is a possibility that this family-owned pizza company continues to create pies for Kirkland Signature, but neither company has confirmed the link.

Members of the Palermo Workers Union would be visiting Costco Wholesale headquarters, according to a 2012 press release from United Steelworkers, because the warehouse club was the country's largest retailer of Palermo products at the time.

Costco is known for carrying various pizza-related products, Kirkland Signature Frozen Pizza in particular. However, it seems that the warehouse has now stopped keeping stocks of the Palermo brand, and the packaging of its current Kirkland brand frozen pizza differs slightly from the previous one.

Ito En green tea

The manufacturer behind another Kirkland Signature product has been revealed despite its packaging showcasing the name. Kirkland Signature and Ito En 100-count box of green tea bags is now being offered by Costco which is a mixture of sencha and matcha.

This Japanese multinational drinks company, Ito En has a wide range of tea products like bottled teas, loose-leaf, tea bags, and teaware gift sets under its brands - Oi Ocha, matcha LOVE, and Tea’s Tea Organic. There are now some matcha LOVE stores across the U.S.

Consumers have given positive reviews on Amazon.com one customer said that the caffeine punch does not like it is something coming from strong gunpowder but rather is released more slowly. It has a strong taste but is not bitter with no need to add extra sweetener. The taste remains the same for hours when either kept at room temperature or freshly hot.

Kader Exports shrimp

To get good-quality goods at a lower price, you should think of going private label in place of a big brand the next time you visit Costco for frozen seafood.

Looking back to the concerns regarding salmonella contamination in 2020, it came into the knowledge that it was Kader Exports, a Mumbai-based marine products manufacturer, who supplied Kirkland Signature cooked, peeled, and deveined tail-on and tail-off shrimp. As per the FDA notice, Kader Exports was the supplier of shrimps to brands such as Aqua Star Reserve, CenSea, and Unistar.

A review post on Costcuisine, Costco’s food, and products review site, regarding the tail-on cooked shrimp in 2020 said that the customer was caught off-guard by how fresh and tasty the Costco Kirkland Signature Tail-On Cooked Shrimp were. Sautéing with just a little bit of butter turned out to be very tasty. It can also be eaten defrosted, plain with some seafood sauce, or used in pasta, salad, or other dishes.

Duracell batteries

A lot of people avoid buying store-brand batteries thinking that they might drain faster compared to the big-name branded ones. However, it will remain unknown to you till your device runs out of battery at the most inconvenient time.

The good news is that Costco has generic batteries manufactured by a company that is “Trusted Everywhere.” In an interview with Atlanta station WSB-TV in 2016, Craig Jelinek, CEO of Costco, told that Duracell is the manufacturer of Kirkland Signature Batteries. They offer good deals as well - a 48-pack of AA batteries costs $13.99 on the Costco website, the same price for a 40-pack of the Duracell brand.

The worldwide leader of alkaline batteries, specialty cells, and rechargeables with its iconic pink bunny mascot like Energizer has been in the market since the early 1940s.

Lululemon leggings

It looks like Costco is now offering private-label leggings from the country’s hottest yoga wear brands.

@ashiemari, the TikTok creator, posted a video in 2020 claiming that Kirkland Signature’s $17 leggings were made by Lululemon. For Dorian Smith-Garcia, business development and marketing consultant, this did not come out as a surprise to her as reported by Parade, an entertainment magazine, in 2021. She further added that despite being a common practice, there is no other established brand that would admit that they are creating private-label goods for a big box or discount retailer.

However, none of the companies has commented on the possible link but it seems like Costco is no longer offering Kirkland Signature leggings on its store website.

Ti Point sauvignon blanc

This Kirkland white originated from New Zealand’s winery which was founded by “three generations of women in wine.” The Kirkland Signature Ti Point Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is signed by Ti Point winemaker Tracy Haslam. There are some bottles that have the same logo similar to that from the Ti Point winery – the crossed leaf logo.

The name Ti Point is associated with a peninsula in northern New Zealand where the first vineyard company was established. The winery has expanded its business to the Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough regions.

As per the reviews published in The Seattle Times, Kirkland Signature product includes grapefruit, jalapeno pepper, white flowers, lemon zest, kumquat, and green-apple flavors.

Patrick Lesec côtes du rhône villages

Kirkland Signature’s dark and fruity Côtes du Rhône Villages is not hidden from its French producer. All you have to do is read the description on the back of the bottle. That’s it!

Only one-fifth of the wine produced in the region is pure enough to be claimed as Côtes du Rhône Villages, and Patrick Lesec's sweet and chocolaty blend passes the test. The white wine includes black cherry and blackberry flavors, whereas the Chardonnay grapes are farmed in Kimmeridgian soil, which is a mix of limestone and clay that is said to give the wine its minerality.

The American importer, Regal Wines claims that Lesec does not plant his own grapes, but rather handpicks wineries to work with and specifies the ingredients and technique of production.

Grey Goose vodka

There are a lot of people who will tell you with conviction that Costco’s vodka is a replica of another product in France, the Bacardi’s Grey Goose. An alcoholic research site Under the Label, which is now not functioning, reports that both the vodkas are produced using the water from Gensac Springs in the Cognac region.

Contrary to these findings from the site, the global ambassador for Grey Goose has opposed all the claims made by the site during an interview with the Business Insider while Costco has not commented on the issue. But, don’t be too sad about this. Despite being a small fraction of the price, Kirkland Signature Vodka has beaten the pricey name brand in blind taste tests multiple times.

Although the complete story is unknown, one of the world’s largest producers of spirits, An Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau registry shows LeVecke applied to supply vodka under the Kirkland label.

Gordon Biersch beer

Your Costco’s Kirkland craft beers can stem from any of the two places depending on where you reside. The Takeout affirms that Kirkland beers come from Matt Brewing in New York on the East Coast while Gordon Biersch supplies it to the West.

According to a publication, the labels on West Coast Kirkland beer hold up the name “Hopfen Und Malz Brewing Co.” The site Mashed adds that the address of Hopfen Und Malz corresponds to Gordon Biersch in San Jose, California. Mashed also says that the beer on the East Coast holds up the name of Bricks and Barley Brewing Company from Stevens Point, Wisconsin. It is still ambiguous whether this company is linked to Matt Brewing, which makes Saranac and Utica Club.

With the regional division still uncertain, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau registry says that Gordon Biersch and Matt Brewing both have applied for the labels under the Kirkland brand with Wisconsin’s Regal Brau also included in the list.

Pureology moisture hair care

It is rumored that the affordable haircare bottles of cream-and-purple Kirkland Signature Moisture have high-end origins.

There are a lot of theories on Reddit and other sites that L’Oréal’s Pureology division is behind Costco’s shampoo and conditioner, which hasn’t been proven yet, because of the similarity between the bottles. Reviewers online say that Kirkland’s product is a duplicate of the Pureology version.

The Kirkland Signature Moisture haircare bottles are said to be sulfate, paraben, and gluten-free as well as 100% vegan. The Redditor Shuhshine comments that it has both real Pureology and KS shampoo but the KS shampoo makes her hair look greasy despite it being very much like Pureology which might be because the real Pureology and KS shampoo has different formulas.

Keurig Green Mountain K-Cups

There is no other Keurig you should be looking at for your morning beverage than this one. Keurig is a famous brand that makes coffee makers and pods.

Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. sealed a deal with Costco in 2012 to manufacture the Kirkland Signature K-Cups which are, at present, available in a light roast Breakfast Blend, a dark roast, Pacific Bold, and medium roasts House Decaf and Summit Roast.

The former VP of marketing and sales at Green Mountain, T.J. Whalen says that he thinks Kirkland Signature K-Cup packs offer an incremental chance which goes with the brand’s extensive portfolio of coffee and beverage brands, offering greater variety to the consumers that look for value. This increased the share value of Green Mountain by 9%, during that time.

Alexander Murray scotch

While numerous speculations concerning Kirkland Signature’s alcohol selection have either been disproven or remain uncertain, one thing is for sure - Costco’s scotch is a product of the independent manufacturer, Alexander Murray.

During an interview with Market Watch Magazine in 2016, Stephen Lipp, Alexander Murray, President, and CEO, said that Costco is being supplied with the company’s supplies. Furthermore, since 2007, the independent manufacturer was behind the Kirkland Signature house brand and it’s estimated that Costco sells around 10,000 cases or more of its blended scotch every year.

If you haven’t noticed yet Alexander Murray & Co. Ltd. labels on the bottles of Kirkland Signature Blended House Whiskey or Single Malt Scotch.

Jelly Belly candy

Kirkland partnered with the candy company, Jelly Belly, to sell their famous “gourmet” jelly beans. You can enjoy 49 different flavors of sugary madness all in just a four-pound jar that is kosher and fat-free.

Supposing that the jar has an equal number of beans, you will be able to devour a complete 1.3 ounces of your favorite flavor in every jar you purchase.

The product includes a color menu and a recipe card so that you know what the bean has with each brightly colored candies that go into your mouth. You can savor any flavor you like, ranging from coconut and green apple to fancier flavors like Krispy Kreme glazed blueberry cake and Tutti Frutti.

Kev & Cooper children’s multivitamin gummies

The website says that Costco has its own store brand that has children’s multivitamin candies available in orange, cherry, and green apple flavors which contains over 10 key vitamins and minerals. These gummies come in packs of two or four, in 160-count bottles which means that you can keep a stock of them if you want.

If you go through the list of multivitamins posted on the Amazon.com site, you will find out that Kev and Cooper LLC is the manufacturer of these candies. However, none of them has made a statement concerning the link.

Kev and Cooper brands also have KC Cubs which manufactures education and playtime rugs for kids, fragrance and the hair care product brand, Duru and Evy Baby sells diapers and wet wipes.

H.K. Anderson peanut butter-filled pretzel nuggets

H.K. Anderson teamed up with Costco for its Kirkland Signature Valencia peanut butter-filled pretzels which do not seem to appear on the Costco website anymore.

Presently, Costco is selling a product that looks somewhat similar without the addition of H.K. Anderson’s label. Nonetheless, the original version might still be available at Walmart or Amazon.

However, a reviewer on the Amazon.com site seems to be vigilant regarding the situation. The critic says that the order is a fraud because the product was delivered without the HK Anderson label, with another label despite the site showing the HK Anderson label on it. The flavor was not even close to the real HK Anderson, which is very tasty. The person would have shopped from Costco, for half the price, only if he knew. Currently, H.K. Anderson is owned by the American snack giant, Utz Brands.

Ehrmann yogurt

Ehrmann, the yogurt expert of dairy delights like Yoginos and LACTO Zero, might be the brand that supplies it to Kirkland Signature Greek Yogurt as well.

Disciplined Growth Strategies, his book published in 2017, Peter Cohan, the American businessman says that Ehrmann Commonwealth Dairy provides Greek yogurt to various retailers under private labels, including Costco.

Ehrmann is the largest diary manufacturer located in Germany and produces Greek yogurt as well under the Green Mountain Creamery and Liebe brands.

Perrigo infant formula

Although Kirkland Signature’s Infant Formula, was at one point, manufactured by Abbott Laboratories, the producers of Similac, it looks like the brand has changed its name to Perrigo.

According to the USDA report to Congress concerning the prices and availability of baby formulas, Abbott Laboratories has been manufacturing infant formula for Costco since 2001 under the store brand label. But, the veteran parents caught sight of the yellow box of Kirkland’s Signature Infant Formula, which is now replaced by the blue box holding the name of Kirkland Pro-Care Infant Formula.

Perrigo’s StoreBrandFormula.com, which classifies the retail relationship of the company, highlights its partners and is directly connected to the Kirkland Signature Pro-Care Infant Formula on Costco’s website.

Reynolds aluminum foil

Costco has collaborated with Reynolds, a packaging company located in New Zealand, of aluminum foil fame to manufacture Kirkland Signature Foodservice Foil. This can be proved by the packaging which proudly carries the Reynolds logo on the shiny blue boxes.

Costco claims the foil is very long-lasting and is produced particularly for usage in commercial kitchens, restaurants, catering businesses, school cafeterias as well as small businesses. It can even be used to line pans for the ovens or store food in the fridge.

The Kirkland foils are available in larger sizes as compared to the usual Reynold foils posted on the official website of Costco, with the higher prices showcasing the difference.

Chinet cups

Chinet cups are an essential element at house parties. Costco’s huge packs of these disposable cups are created from a place known to many. The packaging clearly shows the blue Chinet logo under “Kirkland Signature” with a title written in bold letters beside it “The Red Big Cup.”

These cups are available in packs of 240 and are claimed to be extra strong, made with hardwearing plastic. This seems to be the best choice for you to have for the next big birthday bash you would have.

It has been almost more than 90 years since this American-based company Chinet has been manufacturing various other disposable tableware like plates, bowls, and cutlery and selling them by means of other renowned retailers such as Target.

Sonova hearing aids

If you want to have your hearing ability tested, without paying anything for it, it would be best if you select a pack of these.

The finding by hearing health and audiology magazine claims that this elegant Kirkland Signature (KS9) 9.0 Digital Hearing Instruments is available in five different colors and has a special wireless technology produced by Sonova.

Reports by The Hearing Review published in 2019 say that Sonova has verified that it agreed to supply its products to Costco under its flagship brand. This was proven when Sonova was registered as the manufacturer at the end of the owner’s manual. In 2021, the brand launched its KS10 series, available in bronze, stone, silver, beige, and black colors that come with a portable charger as well. The user manual of KS10 has named Sonova as the manufacturer.