Private Label Brands: Quality FAQ

Where can I find information about product recalls?

Up to date information about product recalls can be found on our Product Recalls page.

What do I do if a product doesn't taste right?

If you are unsatisfied with a Private Label product due to unusual taste or consistency, please return it to your local Whole Foods Market for a full refund or exchange.

What do I do if there is a problem with a product (i.e. finding something foreign)?

First, retain all parts of the packaging, product, and foreign object. Second, return the product to your local Whole Foods Market. Notify the Guest Services desk of the issue along with your name and contact information. They will contact us for further investigation.

If you would prefer, email us at privatelabel.customerservice@wholefoods.com and include the product name, bar code, a brief description of the issue, and a printed date or expiration code. Someone from the Private Label office will be in contact and will follow up with more information. We take every complaint seriously and investigate with our manufacturers as standard procedure.

How do you ensure quality for Private Label products?

"Selling the Highest Quality Natural and Organic Products Available" is a core value at Whole Foods Market. As part of the development of all Private Label products, our Quality Assurance Team reviews a manufacturer based on its scores in Food Safety and Quality audits, history in the industry, and Good Manufacturing Practices. Good Manufacturing Practices are guidelines that provide a system of procedures, processes, and documentation to assure the product produced has the identity, strength, composition, quality, and purity that it is represented to possess. The manufacturer must also pass a third-party Food Safety audit. Whole Foods Market Private Label uses this audit to review Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), Standard Safety Operating Procedures (SSOPs), Pest Control, Food Safety, Allergen Handling, Recall Programs, and Finished Product Testing. These third-party Food Safety audits are continued throughout the product's life. A manufacturer that produces higher risk items may be subject to more frequent audits to ensure that our stringent quality standards are upheld.

Most products are packed by the weight indicated on the packaging. Items like chips, cookies, and cereal are packaged in larger bags to help protect the integrity of the product. If a bag of chips was filled to its limit, there would be no room for the product to settle. This settling is very important to keep the product in tact, allow for movement, and reduce breakage while in transit.

All of the products packaged in this manner are regulated to ensure that the weight indicated on the label is equivalent with the weight of the product inside. Varying amounts of each product is expected.