Aldi is back with another copycat product, this time launching a dupe for a market leading kefir drink.
The budget supermarket has introduced the drinks under a brand called Beautiful Everyday, which bears a striking resemblance to the Biotful Gut Health’s packaging.
However, their latest dupe is not all that it seems – as the Money team understands the drink has been created in collaboration with Biotful, which means the brand will benefit from any sales.
Which all begs the question – what’s the difference, other than Aldi’s being much, much cheaper? We have taken a look – and asked some nutritionists for their thoughts…
The branding of the two products is almost identical, with similar colours, logos and motifs.
Aldi’s costs £1.99 for a 750ml bottle, compared with £3.50 for a litre of Biotiful’s branded equivalent.
Nutritionist Gabriela Peacock explained that kefir contained probiotic cultures, which help digestion, liver detoxification, hormonal balance, and overall health.
She described it as like a “yoghurt on steroids” and recommended incorporating it into your daily routine.
We asked her to compare the two products based on their ingredients list.
Here’s what she said:
“When comparing these two kefir brands, Biotiful and Aldi’s own brand, it’s important to note that their ingredient lists are very similar. However, the Aldi product uses very low-fat milk.
“I prefer Biotiful because it uses milk with proper fat, which is actually very healthy and important for us.
“So, if I had to choose between the two, I would opt for the Biotiful product for its nutritional benefits.”
She also noted that kefir was a dairy product and may not be suitable for those following a vegan or dairy-free diet, or those who are lactose intolerant.
Beanie Robinson, a nutritionist from The Health Space, said there were no stark differences between the two products…
“The Aldi one looks like they have used low fat milk, so there are less calories in this Aldi drink,” she said.
“It is unclear which particular bacteria strains they have used, as unlike the Biotiful one, it doesn’t mention them.
“But the bottom line is that I would say if budget allows, always go for the organic full fat kefir to get the benefits of the fats and the organic milk.”
She advised going for the unflavoured versions of the drinks, as the flavoured ones contain additives.
Dr Jibin He, who is a chartered food scientist at Teesside University, said the ingredients in the Biotful drink showed it was a live kefir culture – but suggested a homemade kefir might actually be the best option.
It includes, Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus Acidophilus, Lactobacillus Casei and Lactobacillus Rhamnosus.
“A quick search reveals that these cultures can also have other probiotic bacteria besides the ones mentioned on the package,” he said.
“There may be a difference between people who make kefir traditionally at home versus the commercial version of kefir, which could have different effects.”
He explained that research on the benefits of kefir drinks was not conclusive, and for probiotics to have a genuine effect, there must be substantially more bacteria that can survive the journey through the stomach to reach the gut.
Aldi has long been associated with dupe products – you can see a few of its own versions of well-known brands in the photo below…
It has also partnered with brands in the past.
One of its most recent partnerships was with BrewDog, with the two companies working together in 2020 to create the “Anti Establishment IPA”.