The Company Behind Costco's Kirkland Brand Frozen Shrimp

Unfortunately, there is no fleet of Kirkland Signature ships roaming the seas to provide plenty of frozen shrimp to Costco locations. Instead, the warehouse club contracts production out to a variety of other companies all over the world, to make things like Kirkland brand black pepper and Costco's Signature spiced rum. The supplier behind the bulk retailer's frozen shrimp is Mumbai-based Kader Exports.

Kader Exports is a manufacturer and exporter of seafood products with almost fifty years in the business. It's the fourth largest exporter of shrimp to the United States, due in no small part to its contributions to various Costco locations. Kader seems to mostly supply Costco with cooked, peeled, de-veined shrimp that can come with the tail on or off in two-pound bags. Bags containing 50 to 70 shrimp per pound, without the tail, cost around $15.19 while bags of 31 to 40 shrimp per pound, with the tail, cost close to $16 or $17 — although the exact price may vary depending on location. While Kader could potentially supply Costco with other frozen shrimp products, not all of them can be traced back to the India-based company, like Kirkland's wild-caught red Argentine shrimp. 

India, as a whole, manufactures about 40% of the shrimp exported to the U.S. thanks to its warm climate, which allows producers to harvest year-round. While delicious and affordable, Kirkland's Kader Exports are not free from controversy. From environmental degradation to disease outbreaks, no small amount of trouble has come from relying on this specific source of shellfish.

When a manufacturer of any type grows to the size of Kader Exports, some amount of controversy naturally arises. Most notably in 2020, the company was forced to recall batches of Kirkland brand 1-pound, 1½-pound, and 2-pound frozen cooked shrimp after some samples tested positive for salmonella. However, it's important to note that this event doesn't seem limited to Costco, as Safeway and Whole Foods were forced to recall some of their Indian shrimp as well in 2021.

Though some might say neither was one of the best grocery stores to buy seafood from, this isn't Kader's only brush with the FDA. As recently as April 2024, officials refused Kader shrimp for being unsanitary and testing positive for antibiotic residue. Though not as severe as the salmonella outbreak of 2020, it shows a worrying trend in quality control from the seafood exporter. As a company specializing in farm-raised shrimp, outbreaks and contaminations can spread amongst its shrimp like wildfire, with minor incidents quickly spreading until they ruin entire shipments. 

Costco customers by no means need to abstain from Kirkland brand shrimp, even the farm-raised varieties from Kader. Costco has a robust recall system in place to alert customers of potential contaminations and is well-known for its generous refund policies. However, if you'd like to avoid any potential harm, it may be best to stick to wild-caught varieties from other countries.