Can-do
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IRIDIO PHOTOGRAPHY
Canned goods from Kirkland Signature
BuyingSmart
Consumer reporter
Pat Volchok gives a
behind-the-scenes look
at Costco products and
services. Send your
questions about this
article to:
buyingsmart@
costco.com.
COSTCO HAS A BRAND;NEW Kirkland Signature™ canned fruits and vegetables program, and
that has me rethinking my “fresh or forget it”
stance—most particularly since it’s January and I’d
love nothing more than to sit down with a big bowl
of sliced peaches.
;e unveiling of this new program, which has
been carefully constructed over the past two years,
means that Costco members now have a value-packed option not only during the fruitless and
vegetable-less winter months, but all year round.
;e focus is on pure, Fancy Grade fruits and
vegetables. No preservatives, arti;cial colors or ;a-vorings, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup or
genetic modi;cation is allowed.
More in archives
On Costco.com, enter
“Connection.” At
Online Edition, search
“buyingsmart.”
Best of all, this program fully supports American
farms and farming families. ;e corn is grown and
canned in Washington, Illinois and Wisconsin, the
green beans in Illinois and Wisconsin, and the
peaches in California.
Tess Wilkins, assistant general merchandising
manager for Costco corporate foods, says, “Opening
up a can of Costco’s exclusive private-label, U.S.-grown and -packed Kirkland Signature Golden
Sweet Corn, Blue Lake Cut Green Beans and Sliced
Yellow Cling Peaches [also in jars] is like welcoming
an old friend back home.”
Doin’ the quality can-can
;e U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
does not require manufacturers to print on the label
the grade of the fruit or vegetable in the can (they
range from Grade A to C). ;is is why descriptive
words such as “premium” or “quality” on a label
mean absolutely nothing.
However, Costco demands that for its Kirkland
Signature program, only top-level, Fancy Grade
(Grade A) produce are allowed, representing the
highest quality and ;avor, uniform color and size,
and careful handling.
;e produce for this program is harvested at the
peak of ripeness and quickly canned to preserve that
wholesome, just-picked taste. I visited a Costco
corn-canning facility last August during harvest and
