Why You Should Think Twice About Buying Poultry From Kroger
If you're looking to shop smart and get the most out of your dollar, you may want to avoid buying your poultry at Kroger. Though it may once have been a great option — buying chicken at Kroger used to be even cheaper than buying it at Aldi, a store known for its low prices — a 2019 analysis by Clark found that Kroger is no longer the best option. A pound of boneless chicken breast at Kroger cost you about $2, compared to $1.89 at Aldi.
Same thing with turkey. A CNBC comparison from last Thanksgiving found that Kroger lost to Aldi, Publix, and Walmart when it came to turkey prices. A pound of fresh turkey at Kroger would have cost you $1.59 compared to $1.19 at Aldi — that's 34 percent more expensive. Wegman's and Costco also had cheaper fresh turkey options than Kroger. No fresh turkey options were listed for Walmart or Publix, but their frozen options were better bargains than Kroger's, too.
It's not just the price that's a problem
When you buy chicken at Kroger, you could be risking a seriously unpleasant taste experience. In 2018, one user on grocery forum Big Green Egg suggested that the chicken breasts sold at Kroger had been getting worse and worse: "I've noticed an off flavor and texture about them. I can't really describe it well. It was almost a 'chemical' taste. It doesn't matter how I cook or prepare the chicken, it always seems to have that taste which leads me to believe that [it's] being pumped full of god knows what." Other users chimed in to agree.
It's not just the raw meat – you might also want to steer clear of the rotisserie chicken. One Yelp reviewer ominously said, "I'll spare the details of symptoms from the last two days and nights." Another said, "It was absolutely the lowest quality pre-cooked chicken I've ever purchased. It was so bad, I went immediately to return it...I saw another roasted chicken that had been opened and was just sitting out – open for anyone to touch, sneeze on, etc."
Obviously, these reviews can't be verified. But even if you can safely assume your Kroger chickens are food-poisoning-free and un-sneezed-on, if you want a tastier rotisserie experience, you might be better off shopping elsewhere.