The Global Brand Behind Trader Joe's Pistachios

If you think Trader Joe's is a good place to shop for your preferred name brands, you'd be falling for one of the many false beliefs about the store. Instead, it's known for its unique labels and signature line of products, which has garnered impressive customer loyalty over the years. Food shoppers who swear this loyalty love Trader Joe's pistachios. They come in or out of the shell, infused with garlic and onion, or even coated in dark chocolate. If you've ever bitten into a salty, savory Trader Joe's pistachio, looked at it, and wondered, "Where did you come from?" — we've got your answer covered. The global brand behind the pistachios at Trader Joe's is The Wonderful Company, through its subsidiary, Wonderful Pistachios.

We've identified Wonderful Pistachios as a supplier to the store in a past compilation of the actual companies behind Trader Joe's items. A voluntary recall from 2016 linked to a salmonella contamination issued by Wonderful Pistachios names Wonderful, Paramount Farms, and Trader Joe's brands among the impacted products. According to the recall, 13 product codes produced under the Trader Joe's label between October and November were distributed to customers in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Peru. Since the recall's bad publicity, the company has tried to move on with a focus on marketing its brands and reputation, though internet users have brought to light some questionable ethics.

Based in California's San Joaquin Valley, The Wonderful Company is a privately held, $6 billion enterprise which claims to be the world's leading grower of tree nuts, as well as America's largest citrus grower. The company owns POM Wonderful juice, Wonderful Seedless Lemons, and Wonderful Halos. It also owns beverage brands: FIJI Water, JUSTIN Vineyard and Winery, and Landmark Vineyard; as well as Teleflora — the world's largest flower delivery network. According to its website, the company prioritizes health and community stewardship.

But across social media, people have raised concerns about the company. In a Reddit thread aimed at exposing corporate greed, a user claimed The Wonderful Company's business practices exploit union workers and deplete public water supplies. A commenter claiming to be an employee brought up monopolies and claimed The Wonderful Company owns more than half of all commercial beehives in the U.S. Several people in the thread made reference to The Dollop, a podcast which aired an episode discussing The Wonderful Company and its alleged connections to oil companies, monopolies, and privatization of public water sources.