Deli Originals Fresh Tzatziki | Chewsday Review
I'm dipping back into another Chewsday Review to find out if Aldi's tzatziki is worth the trip or if you should stick with big brands.
- Yoghurt (73%) [Reconstituted milk powder, milk solids, mineral salt (452), cultures (milk)], cucumber (20%), garlic puree (3%), vegetable oil, salt, thickener (415, 1442), pepper.
- The ingredients are all what I would expect – yoghurt, cucumber, garlic, salt, pepper and oil, plus a preservative and thickener.
- Common allergens: milk.
- The salt is only 244mg per 100g, which is within recommendations (<400 mg per 100g) and lower than all of the following: Coles brand (320mg), Obela (486mg), Pilpel (408mg), Willow Farms (364mg) and Chris’ Dips (333mg).
- I’m impressed to see that 20% of this dip is actually cucumber! Chris’ Dips was the only other tzatziki on par, with most other brands being between 8-12% cucumber.
- This dip contains no added sugar, so only contains naturally occurring sugars from milk ingredients.
- As I expected Aldi’s pricing beats out the big supermarket brands. This is only $2.39 for a 200g tub ($12.00 per kg). Coles own brand and Willow Farms are the next cheapest, both at $2.60 ($13 per kg) and the most expensive seems to be Chris’ Dips which is $5 ($25 per kg).
- Total fat and saturated fat are both within recommendations.
- This is a bit of a stretch but it’s only 85% Australian ingredients. This isn’t necessarily bad, but it would be great if it was 100% Australian ingredients to make sure we’re supporting Aussie farmers.
- “Gluten free”. This is handy for wheat and gluten free families.
- “No preservatives”. This is interesting because technically mineral salt 452 can be used as a preservative as well as a stabiliser and thickener. It’s possible it has been added to improve the texture of this product and I certainly don’t have a problem with mineral salt 452 being used, but it seems a bit misleading to use the “no preservatives” label if it contains something that can act as a preservative.
- “Suitable for vegetarians”. I’d expect this, but occasionally dairy products do contain gelatine so it is likely a helpful label for vegetarian families.
- Overall, this dip seems to be a winner. It’s cheap, low in sodium and contains the most cucumber compared to other brands.
- You could make your own tzatziki and skip the salt entirely for young babies, but this is a decent option for busy families. The only inconvenience will be heading to Aldi if you’re not a regular Aldi shopper.
- If you’re looking for a recipe, Mealtimes members can find my Herby Tzatziki recipe in each membership.
The composition of food products changes regularly. The nutritional values of the products in this Chewsday Review were correct at the time of publishing.
