The Utah Company Where Costco Sources Its Organic Flour

Wholesale giant Costco isn't unique among big-box brands in that it stays tightlipped about where it sources its famous Kirkland Signature-labeled products. Nevertheless, word does sometimes get out, as in the case of Costco's Kirkland Signature Super Premium Vanilla Ice Cream, which an outsourced manufacturer has publicly claimed responsibility for. Similarly, on its website, a Utah-based company offers a tongue-in-cheek implication that it is responsible for manufacturing Costco's Kirkland Signature organic flour.

Central Milling has been supplying flour and grains from its Utah home base since 1867. On its FAQ page, Central Milling slyly implies that if a customer wants its flour and doesn't want to pay for shipping, the company has heard that the organic all-purpose flour at Costco is a good option, literally adding the words "wink wink" at the end of the statement.

Without coming right out and overtly claiming responsibility for Kirkland Signature's Organic All-Purpose Flour, Central Milling makes it pretty clear that the product on Costco shelves comes from none other than its own Utah-based mills. Another telltale indicator can be found on the packaging of Kirkland Signature All-Purpose Flour where it is stated that the product is certified organic by the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food. It's clear that wherever Costco sources its organic flour, it's somewhere in Utah. Wink wink.

Central Milling offers a variety of flours, so which one is most likely lurking behind that Kirkland label on Costco's shelves? A review of the ingredient labels on the current lineup of Central Milling-branded products yields two possible candidates: Central Milling's Organic Beehive organic all-purpose flour and its Organic Artisan Bakers Craft Plus organic bread flour — both of which contain only organic unbleached hard red wheat flour and organic malted barley flour, as does Costco's Kirkland Signature All-Purpose Flour. The designation "all-purpose flour" on both the Central Milling Organic Beehive label and the Kirkland label make the Beehive product the most likely candidate.

While there are some common mistakes one can make as a Costco shopper, buying the Kirkland brand isn't one of them. Costco prides itself on the quality of its Kirkland-branded products, literally making the statement that Kirkland Signature means quality on its Kirkland webpage. For 2023's fiscal year, Kirkland Signature brought in revenue of $56 billion for Costco (per Fortune). Kirkland products sometimes show up for sale outside of Costco, as well, further evidencing the brand's renown among consumers. Being selected as a Kirkland Signature supplier, therefore, is a definite badge of honor for any company, so you can't blame a business for making it known -– even if they have to be subtle about it.