The Case For Avoiding Aldi's Deli Meat

On our list of the best and worst products to buy at Aldi, there were some real standouts — in both good and bad directions. For example, Aldi has some of the best chocolate bars we've enjoyed at supermarkets. But when the discount grocer swings and misses, however, it does so big time. To prove this, look no further than its pre-packaged deli meats. Countless social media reviews have talked trash about these products, which are theoretically meant for quick, cheap lunches.

Keep in mind that, due to the small footprint of your typical Aldi store, this chain doesn't have in-store deli counters. This means that all the meat you encounter has been sliced elsewhere and shipped in a package. Not only does this mean that you can't specially request any of your deli items to be cut a certain way or customize your order (perhaps by weight or amount of slices), but it also means that the store's offerings are not as fresh as what you might find at competing groceries. Considering how long open lunch meat can last (hint: not very long) and the relatively short period that even unopened cold cuts are good to eat, it stands to reason that you would want the freshest meat possible. That way, your sandwiches taste good and your grocery shopping haul can go the distance. For this reason alone, Aldi deli meat is not a great buy ... and that's to say nothing of the sometimes alarming online complaints.

On a Reddit thread entitled "What items do you avoid buying at Aldi?" the original poster (OP) listed deli meats in their personal "no" category. "I'm with you on the deli meats, they're disgusting," the top comment stated. Another thread in the Aldi subreddit that dubbed the cold cuts "repulsive" went into more detail: "It's slimy and sticky at the same time. Has a flavor like you are eating something rotten. Just the lowest quality lunch meat I've ever seen in my life." Some varieties are apparently better than others, a poster countered elsewhere. "Salami is the only [Aldi lunch] meat ive bought that isn't slimy and vile," they noted. Most concerningly, a Redditor alleged that they got food poisoning after eating Aldi ham and cheese. "I've tried every brand/type Aldi has had [...] it's all slimy and gross in my opinion," a commenter chimed in sympathetically.

While pre-packaged lunch meat of any brand from any store is just not going to give you the freshest cold cuts, it seems that Aldi's house brands of deli meat, which include Lunch Mate and some packages simply labeled "Aldi," are to be avoided at all costs. Now, that "slime" on deli meat is a byproduct of processing (and it should come as no surprise to you that much lunch meat is very processed) and doesn't necessarily mean the meat is unsafe to eat. However, we can't excuse poor-tasting sandwich filling.