You’ve heard me on The Judi & EJ Show talk about how much I love grocery shopping at Aldi — and I’ll say it again: I am an Aldi shopper through and through. Our coworker Kyle Forcini is too. We both love the tight selection of quality items, and for staples it’s the best value in Jersey. Of course, when I’m looking for specialty items, I still like to hit ShopRite, Giant, or Acme.

Why I kept driving past Amazon Fresh without stopping

Lately I’ve also been intrigued by the Amazon Fresh stores each time I drive by one. I suppose the intrigue comes from being an Amazon online shopper — you know, when I drive past and say, “oh cool, look at that Amazon supermarket.” But it seems I was just not curious enough to actually go inside. And now… I might not get the chance anyway.

Amazon announces closure of all Amazon Fresh grocery stores

Amazon just announced it’s closing all of its physical Fresh stores nationwide, which includes the ones we have right here in New Jersey. The company says it will continue Amazon Fresh as an online grocery brand, but the brick-and-mortar Fresh and cashier-less Go stores are shutting their doors because Amazon hasn’t been able to “create a truly distinctive customer experience with the right economic model” for expanding these stores.

New Jersey Amazon Fresh locations that are closing

In New Jersey, the Fresh locations that are slated to close include:
Eatontown – 137 NJ-25, Eatontown
Lodi – 2 Memorial Drive, Lodi
Paramus – 30 E. Ridgewood Avenue, Paramus
Woodland Park – 1510 Route 46, Woodland Park

Amazon hasn’t given a lot of details on exact closing dates here, but reports indicate most Fresh and Go stores are expected to be closed by early February 2026 as the company pivots toward other grocery formats.

Could Whole Foods replace Amazon Fresh stores in New Jersey?

Here’s an interesting twist: some of these Fresh stores could be converted into Whole Foods Markets, and Amazon plans to open more than 100 new Whole Foods and related formats in the next few years.

So, while I’ll miss the drive-by curiosity, I’ll likely be sticking with my Aldi route and grabbing specialty items where they’re easiest to find. And who knows — maybe a Whole Foods in one of these spots will give me something new to explore!

What does the new legislation do?

The Protecting Against Forever Chemicals Act prohibits the sale of carpets, fabric treatment, cosmetics and food packaging that use intentionally added PFAS. It excludes products that get tainted by PFAS in the manufacturing process. The ban will take effect in January of 2028.

The law also requires cookware manufacturers to include warning labels when PFAS was used to manufacture their products. Penalties for violating the act could range from $1,000 to $25,000.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection will also use $5 million to research, monitor and eliminate PFAS across the state.

Adams said while he applauds the new measure, he wishes the law went further.

“There are other products that are not covered by this bill that should have PFAS removed from them completely as part of a broader effort to remove PFAS from our environment,” said Adams. “Other states have passed larger-scale bills, but this is a phenomenal start in removing PFAS that, once enforced, will be incredibly beneficial to the health of every Jerseyan.”

Are PFAS-free alternatives available for household products?

There are more than 500 PFAS-free alternatives, according to a 2024 National Library of Medicine paper, and 164 major brands have already committed to removing these toxins from their products.

Do other states ban PFAS products?

New Jersey is the first state in the region to ban products containing “forever chemicals.”

However, more than a dozen states have passed similar legislation.

What products contain PFAS?

A number of household products contain PFAS, including pots and pans, microwave popcorn bags, waterproof clothing and boots, stain-resistant carpet, cosmetics and food packaging.

“These chemicals have become sort of ubiquitous in our home and work environment,” said Dr. Richard Hamilton, chair and professor of emergency medicine at Drexel University College of Medicine. “The problem with PFAS is that the chemicals are present in things that we have purchased many years ago, and they remain there.”

The chemicals can leach into household environments through air or dust, said Robert Laumbach, associate professor in the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Justice at the Rutgers School of Public Health.

“Some of those [PFAS] are actually volatile and evaporate into the air, and then others can be particles of dust or the wear products of carpet fibers and so on that can get into the air and then we breathe them,” he said.

The chemicals are used in the manufacturing process because they can make products water and oil resistant, and they don’t break down chemically or by heat, Laumbach said. He said some products don’t intentionally contain PFAS, but are contaminated during the manufacturing process.

Hospitals in the Philadelphia area had a pretty quiet weekend, but now staff say they’re seeing a growing number of injuries, including many from falls on ice.

Susan Petrucelli was in the emergency department at Virtua Voorhees after falling on ice outside her home in South Jersey. 

“It all looked like snow, but it was all ice, it was all frozen over,” the 61-year-old said. “I  guess I just slipped and I went down and I hit my face on the side of my car.”

Fortunately, imaging showed no broken bones, but she has plenty of bruises.

“You could see the crack in the ice where my head hit,” Petrucelli said.

Dr. Alan Shubert with Virtual Health said injuries like this are common during winter weather. 

“Most of the time it’s wrists and ankles, people falling, and putting their hands out to catch themselves,” Shubert said. “Hip injuries and broken hips, the third most common thing we see.”

Shubert said people should be extra careful with the icy conditions expected to last for a while. 

“Try to have good footwear on, and avoid if you can, I think, the really icy areas and try to stick to the snow areas, that may be less slippery and give you more traction,” Shubert said.

Shoveling is also causing issues, he said. 

Three people in Lehigh County died shoveling during the storm, the coroner said. 

“We get anything as simple as kind of back strains from the shoveling to, unfortunately, as serious as people having heart attacks,” Shubert said.

The doctor said people who aren’t in good shape should not shovel snow, and even those who are in shape often suffer from achy backs, shoulders and legs.

“We recommend resting, using heat, using some ibuprofen or Tylenol,” Shubert said. 

Finally, Shubert said people should be careful with snow blowers, as hand injuries often happen when people try to clear them without turning them off.