This Popular Trader Joe’s Product Isn’t a Dupe – It’s a Brand-Name Fave

If you’ve ever had suspicions that certain Trader Joe’s products taste an awful lot like their brand-name counterparts, you’re not imagining it. I’m absolutely convinced that the store’s own pita chips are identical to Stacy’s Simply Naked Pita Chips, partly because that’s the only brand of pita chips I like. And there’s a similar creaminess and flavor overlap between Costco’s Kirkland Signature Vanilla Ice Cream and Trader Joe’s French Vanilla Ice Cream (but maybe that’s just my imagination).

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Reddit might’ve just solved this mystery, at least for one Trader Joe’s product. Thanks to a clue dropped inside of this particular pantry staple, we now know that Trader Joe’s just might be selling the same exact items you know and love under different names.

Trader Joe’s And Annie’s Share The Same Mac And Cheese

Recently, a Reddit user cracked open a box of Trader Joe’s macaroni and cheese—specifically, the Organic Shells and White Cheddar variety—to find a bit of a surprise inside. Instead of the usual Trader Joe’s cheese packet, they pulled out one that looked just like those used inside another brand’s mac and cheese: Annie’s.

That cheese packet bore the familiar doodles and rabbits of Annie’s Organic Shells & White Cheddar.

Annie’s mac and cheese lineup is plenty popular. Sure, it’s not on the same level as Kraft, but it’s become the go-to for households that prefer to buy organic items or kids who prefer the Annie’s flavors to Kraft’s. But since it’s a name brand, Annie’s boxed mac and cheese often goes for a higher price than private-label alternatives.

Now, based on this evidence from Reddit, you might be able to snap up Annie’s mac and cheese for less at your local Trader Joe’s. After all, the cheese packet is what packs the flavor—so if TJ’s is using Annie’s cheese packets or the same formulation in their own, you can get the same taste at a lower, non-name-brand price.

How Did A Brand-Name Product End Up At Trader Joe’s?

The answer is simple. 

All of those private-label products have to be made somewhere—and they’re often made by the same manufacturers as their brand-name alternatives. Often, Trader Joe’s products are made at the very same places as brand-name ones (after all, the recipes are near-identical or very similar).

As SFGate reports, Trader Joe’s is obviously very tight-lipped about who (or which companies and brands) are behind its products. After all, Trader Joe’s wants to build customer loyalty to its very own brands under the TJ’s name. And, since the chain sells brand names’ products at lower prices, the brands themselves also don’t want to reveal any insider info.

And there are plenty of people who’ve done digging into the brands that might be behind Trader Joe’s products. In the past, it’s been reported that big names like Naked, Wonderful Pistachios, Tate’s Bake Shop, and Snack Factory might create some familiar TJ’s products. And there are numerous Reddit threads speculating on even more brands. 

So, should you rip into a box of Trader Joe’s macaroni and cheese to find a similar Annie’s-branded cheese packet inside yourself, don’t be surprised.