20 American Supermarket Products to Avoid – And What to Buy Instead
- Gregory Andrews
- Mar 17
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 25
With the rise of America's abusive tariffs and billionaire-backed fascism, consumers in many countries are reconsidering their support for US companies. Yesterday I wrote Five Reasons to Start Boycotting US Companies and start choosing Aussie-made or alternative countries' products.
Consumer choice is an effective way of pushing back. And the supermarket is a good place to start. I've done some research, including ducking down to Woolies today. To be honest, I didn't realise how full of US-owned brands our supermarket shelves are. Here’s my list of 20 American brands in the supermarket to boycott and what you can choose to buy instead.
1. Coca-Cola (Coke, Sprite, Fanta, Powerade, Mount Franklin, Pump)
• Why boycott? Coca-Cola is notorious for its environmental impact, water exploitation, and links to anti-union activities.
• Better alternatives: Try Australia’s Bickford’s, Bundaberg Brewed Drinks, Naked Life for soft drinks, and tap water instead of bottled water.
2. Pepsi (Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Gatorade, Lipton Iced Tea, Doritos, Smith’s Chips, Twisties)
• Why boycott? PepsiCo is a major contributor to plastic pollution and is also notorious for poor labour practices.
• Better alternatives: Go for Nippy’s Iced Tea, Australian Kombuchas' Strangelove Soda, or Red Rock Deli Chips (Australia) instead.
3. Heinz (Ketchup, Beanz, Golden Circle, Wattie’s, Big Red Soup)
• Why boycott? Heinz has been criticised for factory closures, offshore production, and price-gouging.
• Better alternatives: Support Rosella (Australia), Beerenberg (Australia), or Mutti (Italy) for tomatoes and sauces.
4. Kellogg’s (Corn Flakes, Nutri-Grain, Coco Pops, Froot Loops, Special K, Pringles)
• Why boycott? Kellogg’s has moved production offshore, axing Aussie jobs. It is also involved in anti-union activity.
• Better alternatives: Choose Carman’s (Australia), Uncle Tobys (Swiss-owned but Australian-produced).
5. Campbell’s Soup (Chunky, V8 Juice, Arnott’s [formerly Aussie-owned])
• Why boycott? Campbell’s now owns Arnott’s, a former Australian company, and lobbies against food regulations.
• Better alternatives: Opt for Massel (Australia) for stock, Beerenberg for sauces, and Homemade soup brands at farmers’ markets.
6. Oreo (Nabisco, Ritz Crackers, Chips Ahoy!)
• Why boycott? Oreo’s parent company Mondelez has a history of deforestation and unsustainable palm oil use.
• Better alternatives: Bake your own or try Kooka’s Country Cookies (Australia), Vittoria biscuits (Italy), or Nice & Natural (New Zealand).
7. Mars (M&Ms, Snickers, Milky Way, Maltesers, Skittles, Extra Gum)
• Why boycott? Mars has been linked to child labour issues in the cocoa industry.
• Better alternatives: Try Loving Earth (Australia), Tony’s Chocolonely (Netherlands), or Whittaker’s (New Zealand).
8. Hershey’s (Reese’s, Hershey’s Bars, Jolly Ranchers)
• Why boycott? Hershey’s has been involved in human rights controversies in cocoa sourcing.
• Better alternatives: Haigh’s Chocolate (Australia), Whittaker’s (New Zealand), or Lindt (Switzerland).
9. McCormick (Aeroplane Jelly, Herbs & Spices, Keen’s Mustard)
• Why boycott? McCormick dominates the spice industry and has been accused of unsustainable sourcing.
• Better alternatives: Support Herbie’s Spices (Australia), Gewürzhaus (Australia), or Madame Flavour for tea.
10. Quaker Oats (Chewy Bars, Oats, Porridge)
• Why boycott? Quaker is owned by PepsiCo and profits go back to the US.
• Better alternatives: Carman’s Oats (Australia), Red Tractor (Australia), or Woolies/Aldi/Coles own brands (just check they're Australian made).
11. Nestlé USA (KitKat, Nescafé, Milo, Allen’s Lollies, Maggi, Purina Pet Food)
• Why boycott? Nestlé has a long history of unethical water usage and aggressive marketing of infant formula in developing countries.
• Better alternatives: Haigh’s Chocolate (Australia), Hummingbird Coffee (New Zealand), and Bellamy’s Organic (Australia) for baby food.
12. Old El Paso (Mexican Food, Tacos, Wraps, Refried Beans)
• Why boycott? Owned by General Mills which is one of the world's largest processed food manufacturers.
• Better alternatives: La Tortilleria (Australia), Doña Cholita (Mexico/Australia), or Casa Fiesta (Mexico).
13. Listerine (Johnson & Johnson, Oral Care, Band-Aid, Neutrogena)
• Why boycott? Johnson & Johnson has faced multiple lawsuits over health concerns and environmental damage.
• Better alternatives: Grants of Australia (natural toothpaste), Jack N’ Jill (Australia), or Red Seal (New Zealand).
14. Colgate (Colgate-Palmolive, Sanex, Palmolive Soaps)
• Why boycott? Colgate has been linked to microplastics pollution and unethical supply chains.
• Better alternatives: Grants of Australia, Red Seal, or Dr. Bronner’s (US but ethical).
15. Gillette (Razors, Shaving Creams, Venus Razors)
• Why boycott? Gillette (Procter & Gamble) has been criticised for price-gouging and excessive plastic waste.
• Better alternatives: Safety Razors by Leaf (Canada), or Straand (Australia).
16. Pantene (Shampoo, Conditioner, Hair Treatments)
• Why boycott? Procter & Gamble brands contribute to deforestation and excessive plastic waste.
• Better alternatives: Ethique (New Zealand), EverEscents (Australia), or Aussie Hair.
17. Ben & Jerry’s (Ice Cream, Frozen Desserts)
• Why boycott? While Ben & Jerry’s has progressive values, it is still owned by Unilever, a massive multinational that prioritises profits over ethics.
• Better alternatives: Messina, Pana Organic, or Denada (all Australian brands).
18. Orville Redenbacher’s (Microwave Popcorn, Conagra Brands)
• Why boycott? Heavily processed and linked to excessive use of artificial additives.
• Better alternatives: Pop your own corn or try The Popcorn Company or Cobs (Australian).
19. Hunt’s (Canned Tomatoes, Tomato Sauce, Pasta Sauce)
• Why boycott? Hunt’s, owned by Conagra, supports industrial farming that contributes to environmental degradation.
• Better alternatives: Mutti (Italy), Annalisa (Italy), or Sandhurst (Australia).
20. Walmart Products (Equate, Great Value, Home Brand US Imports)
• Why boycott? Walmart has a long history of underpaying workers and driving small businesses into bankruptcy.
• Better alternatives: Support Aldi, Coles Local, or Harris Farm Markets instead.
Final Thoughts
It might feel a bit overwhelming given the intensity of US owned-brands in Australian supermarkets. But boycotting US brands doesn’t have to be stressful and nor does it have to be absolute. You can start small by swapping out products like Kelloggs for Weet-Bix and Heinz for Rosella. We have fantastic local alternatives, and international brands from Europe, New Zealand, East and Southeast Asia etc often provide better-quality products without funding corporations that undermine democracy, human rights and climate action.
Where we spend our money matters. Let’s start making it count.
Postscript: If you're not already exhausted from reading this blog, check out a follow up post I wrote Ten More American Products at the Supermarket to Avoid and What to Buy Instead.
Can this list be enhanced please? I cancelled Netflix, Disney,.... for Stan + Binge, don't use Google as search engine, but Startpage.com that acts like a proxy for Google results. Cancelled o365 for a Swiss solution, use pCloud as EU based webstorage since years. Use Vivaldi browser instead of edge or so. Would be cool if there would be something like goeuropean.com but for Australia.
We all have different reasons to stop buying American products, I’ve been doing it to some degree for years and for different reasons.
Now with these Tariffs I’ve decided to go hard, no more US oranges, no more US fast foods, no more anything except what I can’t get elsewhere, not many.
Personally the country that seriously threatens the Australian fabric, is America, they have our media, all our great companies we loved as kids, the reach of America into our lives is very alarming, all the while our politics is heavily influenced by the US. America has taken over Australia, not China, not Japan.
When France wanted to test another bomb in the 1990’s, consumer action hit their economy…
Not my Palmolive gold! Maybe I've sucked in by the marketing but I haven't found another soap that feels like it really cleans my oily skin. Thank goodness I already shop a lot at aldi and foodland. some of the swaps sound bougie and more expensive. But once the tariffs hit the shelves, there may not be much difference.
Maggie Beer has a great range of Australian owned/made foods. But particularly her gourmet ice cream is the very best. Usually available at Coles and Woolies.
Also Connoisseur is owned by Peters, which is owned by Foneri a European company.
You didn’t mention that Häagen-Dazs is a US company.
Good start. However, more promotion of Australian made would be good. Also, please be careful with boycotting US companies as some have Australian subsidiaries and you will be affecting Australian jobs. And with canned products such as tomatoes, I buy fresh whenever possible as I know it is Australian and I know that I am not buying hidden salt, sugar or other nasties.