Methodology

How we grade the evidence

Each attribution on this site carries two grades. The evidence tier grades the source: how strong a kind of record it is. The status grades the answer: how sure we are of the maker. The two can differ. A strong source may point to the maker only indirectly, and a weaker one may name it outright.

The six evidence tiers

Tier 1 is the strongest kind of source and tier 6 the weakest.

T1Court / regulatory records. Court dockets (CourtListener and RECAP), FTC and SEC filings.

T2Recall notices naming co-packers. FDA, FSIS, and CPSC recall records.

T3Plant / registration codes. USDA establishment numbers, FDA IMS dairy codes, TTB COLA/DSP, NDC labeler codes, the USGA conforming-ball list, API oil licensees.

T4On-label co-brands & first-party statements. Label text, earnings calls, major-press reporting, Costco’s own category help pages.

T5Customs / import data. ImportYeti bills of lading. Costco routes many shipments through freight forwarders, so a missing record proves nothing.

T6Community rumor. Reddit, ex-employee claims, side-by-side comparisons. Shown with an unverified badge and kept out of fact sentences.

How status maps to language

The evidence sets the status, and the status sets the wording. A product is confirmed only when a tier 1–4 source directly names the maker of that exact product. It is probable when the evidence is strong but indirect, rumored when only tier 6 community reporting names a maker, and unknown when nothing at tiers 1–5 holds up. Each status allows one form of wording:

Confirmed

“is manufactured by X, per [the recall notice / TTB record / court filing]” — a plain statement, with the source cited.

Probable

“evidence indicates / points to X” — never “is made by X” as a bare fact.

Rumored

“is rumored (unverified) to be made by X” — shown, but never named as the maker in a heading or fact sentence.

Unknown

“no reliable public evidence identifies the manufacturer” — no guess, and no company named as the maker.

Corrections policy

We would rather be corrected than wrong. When a correction is substantiated, we make it promptly and note it in the change log with its date.

If you spot an error or have a primary source we missed, email hello@whoreallymakes.com with the product and the source, and we’ll check it.