The Reason We Don't Know Who Really Makes Whole Foods' Private Label Products

With rising grocery costs at the forefront of every shopper's mind, it's no wonder so many people are turning to private label brands over name brands. Shoppers are picking up Aldi's Millville cereals and Kirkland Signature potato chips thanks to lower price points that don't necessarily sacrifice the quality of the product. Whole Foods' 365 brand is another fan favorite, but whereas we can usually uncover where store brands source products (for example, this is who really makes Kirkland Signature's tequila), Whole Foods is a lot more secretive.

According to Julie Ramhold, a consumer analyst who spoke with "Eat This, not That," Whole Foods likes to keep its 365 brand manufacturers "under lock and key." Supposedly, the company does utilize "outside manufacturers for [its] 365 line of products," but instead of revealing its sources, it "protect[s] the information of exactly which brands are responsible for these products."

The only information that Whole Foods is willing to give up about the 365 brand is that it follows a strict set of standards regarding quality and sourcing. The brand prides itself on selling coffee products that follow Rainforest Alliance or Fair Trade USA standards and on selling strictly cage-free eggs, not to mention its commitment to sustainably using palm oil in its products. So whether 365 by Whole Foods Market is receiving products from outside sources or manufacturing them on its own, it's transparent about quality.

While Whole Foods doesn't openly share the manufacturers that make its 365 brand products, the sneaky way to pin down answers for yourself is to keep an eye on the company's product recall page. Earlier in 2025, the FDA announced an emergency recall on the 365 Whole Foods Market Mac and Cheese Bites and, in the process, inadvertently revealed that the product is manufactured by C.H. Guenther & Son LLC. Another recall in 2023 revealed that the 365 Whole Foods Market Beer Battered Pollock Fillets and 365 Beer Battered Cod Fillets were manufactured by Tampa Bay Fisheries, Inc., along with several more disclosures scattered throughout Whole Foods' product recall page.

The brand has undertaken a few cosmetic changes — a new look to pair with a new name — but its mission for quality seems to remain the same. Customers rave about 365 products, with one Reddit user saying that among the thousands of products, they notice that "a lot of the 365 branded stuff is cheaper than what I find at other grocers, plus a higher quality." Another Redditor chimed in that they "appreciate the clean ingredients" of 365 products and the way that brand's sugar-free chocolate chips contain no starches or harmful fillers and sweeteners. We declared Whole Foods' 365 guacamole as the store-bought guacamole we'll always add to our cart, so even if there's not a clear-cut answer about manufacturers, at least there's no question about taste.