Taste Test: Store Brands vs. Name Brands

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   Taste Test: Store Brands vs. Name Brands
In our latest taste-off, store-brand foods were often at least as good

By Consumerreports.org

Any smart supermarket shopper knows that buying store-brand products instead of big names can save big bucks. In our latest price study, filling a shopping cart with store brands saved us an average of 30 percent. If you spend $100 a week on groceries, those savings add up to more than $1,500 a year. 
Yet some shoppers are still reluctant to try store-brand products. The top reasons from our recent nationally representative survey: "I prefer name brands," "The name brand tastes better," and "I don't know if store brands are as high in quality." Respondents 18 to 39 years old were particularly likely to question the quality of store brands. 
Shoppers are quite leery of some categories. Although they'll snap up store-brand paper goods and plastics, at least half of our survey respondents rarely or never buy store-brand wine, pet food, soda, or soup. That may be especially true when the category includes a name-brand superstar such as Coca-Cola or Campbell's. 
The message from our latest taste-off: Don't be reluctant to give any private-label product a try. In fact, our results may knock some of those iconic brands off their pedestals. Albertsons peanut butter was similar in quality to Skippy; Target's Market Pantry ketchup was as good as Heinz. 
Overall, national brands won seven of the 21 matchups and store brands won three. For the rest, the store brand and name brand were of similar quality. A tie doesn't mean the taste was identical. Two products may be equally fresh and flavorful, with ingredients of similar quality, but taste very different because ingredients or seasonings differ. A case in point is ketchup. In Heinz, the spices stand out; Market Pantry is more tomatoey. 
Although 17 percent of our survey respondents said that "name-brand foods are more nutritious," we found nutrition similar for most of the tested products. The most notable differences: Mott's applesauce has more sugar than Publix, Ore-Ida fries have more sodium than Jewel, and Kellogg's Froot Loops have 3 grams of fiber vs. 1 gram in Stop & Shop Fruit Swirls. 
There's no reason store brands shouldn't hold their own against the big boys. After all, some of the same companies manufacture both. Among the big names that also make store-brand products: Sara Lee (baked goods), Reynolds (wraps, storage containers), 4C (bread crumbs, iced tea, soup mixes), McCormick (seasonings, extracts, sauces, gravies), Feit (lightbulbs), Manischewitz (frozen appetizers, soup mixes, side dishes), Joy Cone (ice cream cones), Stonewall Kitchen (gourmet condiments, specialty foods), and Royal Oak (charcoal). 
Two examples of a different type of store brand—"second tier" brands, which may cost even less—fared worse in our tests. We tasted second-tier Kroger Value Sandwich Singles Imitation Pasteurized Process Cheese Food and Shoppers Value creamy peanut butter, bought at Albertsons. Testers said the Kroger faux cheese is inferior to Kraft and regular Kroger singles. It's salty and chalky, with the artificial-butter aroma common in microwavable popcorn. The Shoppers Value peanut butter is so-so, with off-notes (raw-nut flavor) and a bit of bitterness, probably from peanut skins. Those flaws were noticeable even when the peanut butter was spread on bread. Many chains sell second-tier brands, including A&P (under the names Savings Plus and Smart Price), Safeway (Basic Red), Stop & Shop (Guaranteed Value), and Food Lion (Smart Option). 
Bottom line
Almost any store-brand product is worth a try. There's little risk: Most grocers offer a money-back guarantee if their products don't meet your expectations. (National brands often give unsatisfied buyers coupons, but the process might take a while.) And there's plenty of opportunity for reward. "The secret's out," says Lisa Rider, vice president of retail consulting solutions for Nielsen, the marketing-information company. "Store brands are just as good. Store-brand buyers are no longer seen as cheapskates but as savvy shoppers." 

Some Results:
STORE BRAND WINNERS

Soup

Campbell's, 41 cents per serving 

Food Lion, 36 cents per serving 
Verdict: Food Lion
These soups have soft, almost mushy noodles. Food Lion's flavors are a little more intense, the dehydrated spice taste is not as pronounced, and the soup doesn't leave as much of a fatty feeling in the mouth. The Campbell's broth is oily, with fatty pieces of chicken, and it leaves a lingering taste of garlic powder. 

Hot Dogs 
Oscar Mayer, $3.65 per package

America's Choice (A&P), $2.64 per package 
Verdict: America's Choice
The A&P franks are juicy and full of flavor, with a pleasing blend of garlic and slight smokiness. The Oscar Mayer franks are OK, though slightly ashy-tasting and rubbery. Both are salty. 
TOSS UPS

Ginger Ale

Canada Dry, $1.76 per bottle 

America's Choice (A&P), 97 cents per bottle 
Verdict: Tie
They're good and are similar enough in quality and style that most people probably couldn't tell them apart. They have a mild ginger ale flavor with a short finish (the taste doesn't linger). 
Cheese singles
Kraft, $3.20 per package 
Kroger, $2.52 per package 
Verdict: Tie
There were lot-to-lot variations within the brands, but they would probably go unnoticed in a sandwich. The cheeses are soft, mushy, and pasty. 
Peanut Butter
Skippy, 19 cents per serving 
Albertson's, 15 cents per serving 
Verdict: Tie
They are quite good overall, though tasters detected more deeply roasted nuts (think dark toast vs. light toast) in Skippy. Albertsons has a hint of molasses flavor. 
Ketchup
Heinz, $2.76 per bottle 
Market Pantry (Target), $1.74 per bottle 
Verdict: Tie
Tomatoes are about the only attribute these two have in common, so the choice comes down to personal preference. Heinz is spicier, with distinct Worcestershire notes. Market Pantry has mostly tomato flavor, which comes through precisely because it's not as spicy. The flavor differences are apparent straight from the bottle or with fries.  
Cereal
Kellogg's, $3.69 per box 
Stop & Shop, $2.60 per box 
Verdict: Tie
They are crispy and sugar-coated, with pronounced artificial fruit flavors that kids may love but that reminded our tasters of lemon-scented household cleaner. Fruit Swirls tasted slightly stale. Froot Loops leave a vitaminlike aftertaste, and when tasters added milk, they noticed a slick, waxy residue in the milk and on the bowl and spoon. Kellogg's spokeswoman Susanne Norwitz cited a "flavor coating commonly used on cereal, which has a light oil base" as the probable cause.

NAME BRAND WINNERS 
Frozen Peas
Birds Eye, $1.90 per package 
Wegmans, 90 cents per package 
Verdict: Birds Eye
Although these two are bright green and similar in texture, the Birds Eye peas are sweeter and taste fresher. 
Butter
Land O' Lakes, $4.52 per package 
Wegmans, $1.94 per package 
Verdict: Land O' Lakes
The name brand wins, but not by much. When these butters were spread on bread, there wasn't much difference; when sampled on their own, the Land O'Lakes was slightly better. They are mild, though the Wegmans borders on bland and lacks a touch of sweet-cream flavor evident in the Land O'Lakes.  
French fries
Ore-Ida, $3.91 per bag 
Jewel, $1.99 per bag 
Verdict: Ore-Ida
They're crisp, tender, and good enough to eat out of the oven without condiments. Unlike the Jewel fries, the Ore-Ida fries retain their potato flavor even when they're slathered in ketchup. The Jewel fries are less crisp. 
Tuna fish
Bumble Bee, $1.06 per can 
Market Pantry (Target), 77 cents per can 
Verdict: Bumble Bee
It's flavorful and is the clear winner. Two of three lots of the Market Pantry had barely any identifiable tuna flavor and suffered from off-tastes that were tinny or reminiscent of diesel fuel and that even mayonnaise couldn't totally mask.

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TasunkaWitko Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Admin Group Joined: 25 January 2010 Location: Chinook, MT Status: Offline Points: 9389	Post Options Post Reply Quote TasunkaWitko Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Taste Test: Store Brands vs. Name Brands Posted: 07 September 2010 at 11:03
	Taste Test: Store Brands vs. Name Brands In our latest taste-off, store-brand foods were often at least as good By Consumerreports.org Any smart supermarket shopper knows that buying store-brand products instead of big names can save big bucks. In our latest price study, filling a shopping cart with store brands saved us an average of 30 percent. If you spend $100 a week on groceries, those savings add up to more than $1,500 a year. Yet some shoppers are still reluctant to try store-brand products. The top reasons from our recent nationally representative survey: "I prefer name brands," "The name brand tastes better," and "I don't know if store brands are as high in quality." Respondents 18 to 39 years old were particularly likely to question the quality of store brands. Shoppers are quite leery of some categories. Although they'll snap up store-brand paper goods and plastics, at least half of our survey respondents rarely or never buy store-brand wine, pet food, soda, or soup. That may be especially true when the category includes a name-brand superstar such as Coca-Cola or Campbell's. The message from our latest taste-off: Don't be reluctant to give any private-label product a try. In fact, our results may knock some of those iconic brands off their pedestals. Albertsons peanut butter was similar in quality to Skippy; Target's Market Pantry ketchup was as good as Heinz. Overall, national brands won seven of the 21 matchups and store brands won three. For the rest, the store brand and name brand were of similar quality. A tie doesn't mean the taste was identical. Two products may be equally fresh and flavorful, with ingredients of similar quality, but taste very different because ingredients or seasonings differ. A case in point is ketchup. In Heinz, the spices stand out; Market Pantry is more tomatoey. Although 17 percent of our survey respondents said that "name-brand foods are more nutritious," we found nutrition similar for most of the tested products. The most notable differences: Mott's applesauce has more sugar than Publix, Ore-Ida fries have more sodium than Jewel, and Kellogg's Froot Loops have 3 grams of fiber vs. 1 gram in Stop & Shop Fruit Swirls. There's no reason store brands shouldn't hold their own against the big boys. After all, some of the same companies manufacture both. Among the big names that also make store-brand products: Sara Lee (baked goods), Reynolds (wraps, storage containers), 4C (bread crumbs, iced tea, soup mixes), McCormick (seasonings, extracts, sauces, gravies), Feit (lightbulbs), Manischewitz (frozen appetizers, soup mixes, side dishes), Joy Cone (ice cream cones), Stonewall Kitchen (gourmet condiments, specialty foods), and Royal Oak (charcoal). Two examples of a different type of store brand—"second tier" brands, which may cost even less—fared worse in our tests. We tasted second-tier Kroger Value Sandwich Singles Imitation Pasteurized Process Cheese Food and Shoppers Value creamy peanut butter, bought at Albertsons. Testers said the Kroger faux cheese is inferior to Kraft and regular Kroger singles. It's salty and chalky, with the artificial-butter aroma common in microwavable popcorn. The Shoppers Value peanut butter is so-so, with off-notes (raw-nut flavor) and a bit of bitterness, probably from peanut skins. Those flaws were noticeable even when the peanut butter was spread on bread. Many chains sell second-tier brands, including A&P (under the names Savings Plus and Smart Price), Safeway (Basic Red), Stop & Shop (Guaranteed Value), and Food Lion (Smart Option). Bottom line Almost any store-brand product is worth a try. There's little risk: Most grocers offer a money-back guarantee if their products don't meet your expectations. (National brands often give unsatisfied buyers coupons, but the process might take a while.) And there's plenty of opportunity for reward. "The secret's out," says Lisa Rider, vice president of retail consulting solutions for Nielsen, the marketing-information company. "Store brands are just as good. Store-brand buyers are no longer seen as cheapskates but as savvy shoppers." Some Results: STORE BRAND WINNERS Soup Campbell's, 41 cents per serving Food Lion, 36 cents per serving Verdict: Food Lion These soups have soft, almost mushy noodles. Food Lion's flavors are a little more intense, the dehydrated spice taste is not as pronounced, and the soup doesn't leave as much of a fatty feeling in the mouth. The Campbell's broth is oily, with fatty pieces of chicken, and it leaves a lingering taste of garlic powder. Hot Dogs Oscar Mayer, $3.65 per package America's Choice (A&P), $2.64 per package Verdict: America's Choice The A&P franks are juicy and full of flavor, with a pleasing blend of garlic and slight smokiness. The Oscar Mayer franks are OK, though slightly ashy-tasting and rubbery. Both are salty. TOSS UPS Ginger Ale Canada Dry, $1.76 per bottle America's Choice (A&P), 97 cents per bottle Verdict: Tie They're good and are similar enough in quality and style that most people probably couldn't tell them apart. They have a mild ginger ale flavor with a short finish (the taste doesn't linger). Cheese singles Kraft, $3.20 per package Kroger, $2.52 per package Verdict: Tie There were lot-to-lot variations within the brands, but they would probably go unnoticed in a sandwich. The cheeses are soft, mushy, and pasty. Peanut Butter Skippy, 19 cents per serving Albertson's, 15 cents per serving Verdict: Tie They are quite good overall, though tasters detected more deeply roasted nuts (think dark toast vs. light toast) in Skippy. Albertsons has a hint of molasses flavor. Ketchup Heinz, $2.76 per bottle Market Pantry (Target), $1.74 per bottle Verdict: Tie Tomatoes are about the only attribute these two have in common, so the choice comes down to personal preference. Heinz is spicier, with distinct Worcestershire notes. Market Pantry has mostly tomato flavor, which comes through precisely because it's not as spicy. The flavor differences are apparent straight from the bottle or with fries. Cereal Kellogg's, $3.69 per box Stop & Shop, $2.60 per box Verdict: Tie They are crispy and sugar-coated, with pronounced artificial fruit flavors that kids may love but that reminded our tasters of lemon-scented household cleaner. Fruit Swirls tasted slightly stale. Froot Loops leave a vitaminlike aftertaste, and when tasters added milk, they noticed a slick, waxy residue in the milk and on the bowl and spoon. Kellogg's spokeswoman Susanne Norwitz cited a "flavor coating commonly used on cereal, which has a light oil base" as the probable cause. NAME BRAND WINNERS Frozen Peas Birds Eye, $1.90 per package Wegmans, 90 cents per package Verdict: Birds Eye Although these two are bright green and similar in texture, the Birds Eye peas are sweeter and taste fresher. Butter Land O' Lakes, $4.52 per package Wegmans, $1.94 per package Verdict: Land O' Lakes The name brand wins, but not by much. When these butters were spread on bread, there wasn't much difference; when sampled on their own, the Land O'Lakes was slightly better. They are mild, though the Wegmans borders on bland and lacks a touch of sweet-cream flavor evident in the Land O'Lakes. French fries Ore-Ida, $3.91 per bag Jewel, $1.99 per bag Verdict: Ore-Ida They're crisp, tender, and good enough to eat out of the oven without condiments. Unlike the Jewel fries, the Ore-Ida fries retain their potato flavor even when they're slathered in ketchup. The Jewel fries are less crisp. Tuna fish Bumble Bee, $1.06 per can Market Pantry (Target), 77 cents per can Verdict: Bumble Bee It's flavorful and is the clear winner. Two of three lots of the Market Pantry had barely any identifiable tuna flavor and suffered from off-tastes that were tinny or reminiscent of diesel fuel and that even mayonnaise couldn't totally mask.
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Hoser Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Admin Group Joined: 06 February 2010 Location: Cumberland, RI Status: Offline Points: 3454	Post Options Post Reply Quote Hoser Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 07 September 2010 at 11:10
	Interesting! certainly food for thought before stocking up on ketchup.
	Go ahead...play with your food!

Melissa Mead Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List Master Chef Joined: 17 July 2010 Location: Albany, NY, USA Status: Offline Points: 1174	Post Options Post Reply Quote Melissa Mead Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 10 September 2010 at 18:45
	Back when my mom was a Girl Scout troop leader, she did blind taste tests with her troop. Out of Coke, Pepsi and store-brand cola, the store brand won.
	Melissa http://carpelibris.wordpress.com/