'Proper' brands v Supermarket versions

Zoejory

Marks and Spencer's Baked Beans are cheaper than Heinz and they are just divine.

I much prefer them to any other brand

Asda baked beans are exactly the same as Branston baked beans. Yummy

I use Aldi dish washer tablets instead of finish

They say the proof of the pudding is in the eating - I’m not so sure about that! I realised this morning that I am currently eating branded Weetabix for breakfast. I would not have noticed that it was the genuine article without this thread to prompt me to look. I think I got it cheap in B&M but it’s no better or worse than any other make.

A tip for tablet-taking - take a good swallow of water immediately before the tablet, then quickly pop it in and wash down with more water. The initial gulp kind of primes your swallow reflex. It’s also a good way to help children get tablets down.

Looking around here I realise that practically everything is own brand, with the exception of coffee and dairy free spread and one or two other things. Aldi washing powder is great.

MissAdventure

Unless they turn sideways on the way down. --swallowing a log in--

MissAdventure I hadn't really noticed that to be honest as I have only a known allergy to penicillin. I've googled excipients to see what they say and it looks like a minefield!
I'm not at all experienced in this area but I am an avid packet-reader and googler of any meds I'm taking. I know I'm OK with the wood-pulp cellulose that my paracetamols use for bulking for example but if anyone is interested here's a fascinating (and digestible) paper:

www.nps.org.au/australian-prescriber/articles/pharmaceutical-excipients-where-do-we-begin

I saw a short video, wish I could remember where, on swallowing tablets. The guy demonstrated that normally when we take tablets we toss our heads backwards to swallow. He said by tipping our heads forward to swallow the opening is bigger and the airway is closed and that would help with those choking episodes when it "goes down the wrong way" My blood pressure pills are tiny so I never have trouble with them, but will try it next time I'm swallowing a large round or preferably "log shaped" cure.

I take zapain, and they are like trying to swallow a small sofa.

MissAdventure

Unless they turn sideways on the way down. --swallowing a log in--

Like my horse pills cod liver oil capsules - they are huge and always turn sideways!

I haven't complained to Asda about online shop items, Riverwalk.

I shall have to give it a try, and see if they are as accommodating as Ocado.

I depends how my eyes are, and how greedy I'm feeling whether I do an online shop.

I am due to do one, I'm sure, and a kindly gransnetter gave me a kindle thing, so it is bigger and altogether better for online stuff.

Unless they turn sideways on the way down. swallowing a log in

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.

Actually, for things like paracetamol, it can be the other materials which are different in cheaper brands.

For example, you may find that they start melting as soon as you put them in your mouth, because the coating is thinner, or made of less expensive ingredients.

Some people can find they may irritate their stomach more easily because of that.

Well, that is what I was told when training.

I like Heinz baked beans but nowadays we buy Waitrose Essentials which are just as good. Why waste money propping up named brands?

True. The placebo effect is powerful - and obviously the "branded" paracetamol will presumably work as it's not just a sugar pill!

NotSpaghetti

Like Coolgran65 I buy any-old paracetamol.
There is no way one brand of a straightforward drug can be better than another, I'm certain of that.
You can read the contents and find exactly what you said NS.
The only thing it doesn’t take into account is the impact of the advertising of the branded stuff. A bit like the placebo effect. You think it works better so it appears to do so.

Maw

I told a pal about all these boxes going to waste outside the food bank and she came rushing round to pick up a packet or two.
Her DH was taking a group on a Fungus Foray so she was going to pretend she'd picked them to watch his astonished face.

Morrisons Beefy drink is much nicer than Bovril. Aldi’s Meadowfresh is a pretty good alternative to Clover and can’t tell the difference between their tomato soup and Heinz.

MissAdventure

One miserable tomato!
I would have been fuming.
They're one of my favourite foods.

I always think I'm going to complain when I open fruit and veg that is already on it's way out, but i never do.

Do you not do online grocery shopping MissA?

That's one of the advantages - on the rare occasion that a couple of eggs are broken or the avocados are mush/rock hard a quick complaint to Ocado gets the price refunded to my bank account.

A few weeks ago I picked up a huge box of chanterelles from Lithuania

That was a long way to go to save a few bob on your shopping Grammaretto !

Like Coolgran65 I buy any-old paracetamol.
There is no way one brand of a straightforward drug can be better than another, I'm certain of that.

I do find myself avoiding one of the packs once I've got them home and have a choice though as one make are nearly impossible to push out of the bubble pack!

Luckily I don't very often need paracetamol.

silverlining48

Always had to watch the pennies so rarely bought brands and happy still buying own brands.
It’s my understanding from an ex employee friend that Heinz and co produce the same beans on the same lines, just with different labels. Even if that’s not true I can’t break the habits of a lifetime. My favourite supermarket is Aldi. Way before it went mainstream.

A friend of mine used to work for Kipling cakes and she said exactly the same…

Just bought Sainsbury's own milk chocolate to make Krispy cakes with the grandchildren. I could not believe how horrible it was. Well within date and stored correctly.