'Proper' brands v Supermarket versions

V3ra you may be interested to know that there is a regulation as to how quickly drugs enter your system. Apologies if you knew this (I only recently discovered).
... So for example Ibuprofen has to be 75% in your system after (I think) 40 mins.
The brands that state "fast acting" have to come in quicker than that. I think I read 25 mins.

If your soluble paracetamol variety says "fast acting" it will work faster than regular paracetamol whether it is soluble or not.
If you are wanting the pain relief quickly I'd look out for the ones advertised as "fast".

Cabbie21

My son is MD of a company which produces food for various supermarkets. In most instances, only the label changes. The food is the same.

Someone I know used to work for McVities and said the "best before" dates on the packets of digestive biscuits in a production run varied depending on where they would be sold.
Those destined for Canada had a date three months later than those sold here or in Europe.

The only ones with a different recipe were the M&S ones, they had their own production run.

Because I am house bound I shop on line from Sainsburys so don’t have much choice.
I don’t eat baked beans because of problems caused by cancer and avoid tomatoes as they are bad for arthritis.
My help gets A large Fairy liquid from B and M as well as bleach.
I use very little clothes washing liquid because I put a tablespoon of soda crystals in the dispenser drawer. Use white vinegar instead of clothes softener. Use toilet soap instead of shower gel.

As Martin Lewis advises, try own brand once. If you and family don’t notice any difference or it’s marginal and the own brand is cheaper - go for it! IMO most own brands are absolutely fine - and I’m quite fussy. Especially good value is Lidl.

Riverwalk

The cheaper brands of paracetamol can be harder to swallow - the tablets are chalky and catch at the back of the throat. I find the caplets (not capsules) are smoother and the shape makes them easier to swallow.

I much prefer soluble paracetamol. I think it takes effect quicker than solid pills or capsules as it's already dissolved.

Own brands or Home Bargains for me with just a few exceptions. Ketchup and Mayonnaise have to be Heinz and I like my more expensive coffee and tea. If you’re still shopping in M&S you must have a bigger budget than a lot of people in the current climate, nothing wrong with that, just saying…..

We have shopped with Asda for years and use a lot of their own brand products from foods to cleaning items, and have noticed very little difference in quality or efficiency compared with branded products. Asda's laundry liquids, tea bags, bread, biscuits, cereals, milk, etc are just as good (if not better) than the branded equivalents - and cheaper.

I now do the bulk of my shopping at Aldi and find the quality of the food very good - their tinned chicken soup blows all the much more expensive versions out the water!
I do still use Fairy washing powder, mainly because I tend to come out in a rash with anything else

I rarely buy named brands. Apart from anything I can’t afford to, but as others have said, the own brands are usually as good. I have never bought anything other than the cheapest chopped tomatoes, and my cooking is no worse for it. I usually shop in Asda or Lidl and am very happy with their own brands. I recently bought some hand wash from Lidl. It was the More expensive brand, about £1.70! It looks just like the White Company bottles and smells amazing. The White Company ones are at least £16.

Even ice lollies from Lidl are lovely. I look for the ones that look like name brands and buy them and there’s no difference. Lidl washing powder/liquid is great. So much cheaper and does a really good job.

Lidl dishwasher tablets are just as good as the Finish/Fairy ones I’ve been buying for years and cost £3.19 for 40. Less than half the price of branded ones.

Aldi's Nordpak tastes as good as Lurpak. I was prepared to buy Lurpak regardless of price as it's my favourite but tried Aldi and Tesco versions and both are OK.
I buy my Fairy Liquid in the big bottles from The Range they last a long time. I decant it into a smaller one as the big one is too difficult for me to squeeze. Other than that, I do try own brand and will buy it if it tastes OK. Many years ago, I bought Tesco Rice Krispies for my kids, they were horrid and clung to the roof of my mouth. Today I tried toast made from Sainsburys Seeded bread, yuck same again clung to the roof of my mouth so back to Hovis in future.

Also, branded products (such as cereals and chocolate) are different in different countries.

One shop in America that I've used actually is not allowed to sell certain UK manufactured products as the industry has an international agreement in place! It's nothing to do with colours or e-numbers either - just money deals.

I've generally been pleasantly surprised by supermarket own brands but agree that Fairy Liquid is superior to all other detergents I've tried. Love Tesco's own Fruit Muesli.

I was told by someone working in a biscuit factory that they make for various "brands" but the actual ingredients/recipe does vary.

I know this is true of soaps having lived near a soap factory and buying de-branded/overmakes and "basics" type soaps there. They made everything from cheap-as-chips to Harrods and (if I remember correctly) Creed.

The staff knew which ones were made with what and would unofficially say "come back in a few days" if they knew something lush was coming to the end of an order.

Needless to say we always had lovely soaps I'm those days!

My aunt went round a leading cereal factory and commented on the different supermarket boxes being filled as well as the main brand.
A few years back I know, but it stands to reason that I doubt each supermarket has its own cereal factory!

Love this thread..

Why would you not buy Aldi washing powder? I use their liquid and it's brilliant

I find a lot of own brands are just as good/better than brands. The only thing I cannot find a decent substitute for is Kelloggs corn flakes. Mind you I no longer buy them as finding small size packs in the supermarkets is impossible.

The same goes for shampoos and conditioners etc, everything is family sized and when you live alone with very little storage space it makes evething more inconvenient.

Aldi chocolate is far better than Cadburys. Similar to Lindt, possibly made by them?

I always buy supermarket own brands. Many are made in same factories as the more expensive ones and often the same. One that really surprised me was Aldi Alcafe gold instant coffee. It is as good as the more expensive brands and half the price. I find most own brands as good as the expensive ones. I buy Tesco and Sainsbury's own brands. Have done for years. My favourite pizza is an Aldi one as are their red onion vegan sausages.

I find it depends on which shop's own brands we are talking about, and which products.

I imagine the same applies in all countries, so it doesn't matter that I don't live in the UK.

Due to allergies, I only use one brand of washing powder and body shampoo, and don't experiment with others. I have, though, managed to find a "own brand" shampoo I can use.

Foodstuffs are usually substantially cheaper if you buy the supermarket's own brand, and but for a very few products the difference in taste or in quality is so little that it hasn't prevented us buying whatever it was again.

For 'good stuff' JS Taste the Difference - Tuna, tea bags etc. Often do buy JS basic (tinned spuds), Napolina tinned toms better than JS. Bought a JS version of Jif the other day as couldn't find Bar Keepers Friend - awful, scratches surfaces and doesn't remove stains! - Then found BKF in Savers for amazing price.

Surely big brands are those that pay for advertising. I am not going to buy something just because someone on the TV gets paid to say it’s the best. With the way prices are going I am sticking to the basics and cooking from scratch

Asda’s Extra-Special 3 fruit marmalade is our favourite now.

Waitrose Essentials pasta is very good. I do buy Italian brands, like Barilla, De Cecco etc when on offer, but more often Waitrose dried pasta. My son loves their fusilli.

Co-Op Earl Grey is the best of supermarket Earl Greys.