Stores’ value and own-brand food ranges are ‘identical’

SUPERMARKETS are cashing in by selling standard own-label products that are apparently identical to their value range.

An investigation found no difference in the ingredients or nutrition between the two price tiers across a range of products.

Honey, corned beef and UHT milk were all affected – while there was also no meaningful difference in taste between standard and value packs of mild cheddar.

The only way to tell the lines apart was the packaging – and the fact that the price of standard lines is much higher. A probe by Channel 4’s Supershoppers programme found in some cases the standard and value products come from the same factory.

For example, Corned Beef by Sainsbury’s and its budget equivalent Sainsbury’s Basics Corned Beef come from the same plant in Brazil, according to production codes on the tins.

The standard version costs £ 1.75 while the value tin is £1.50 – however the weight, ingredients and nutritional values are exactly the same.

Meanwhile clear honey from Sainsbury’s costs £1.50 for a standard jar and £1 for the Basics version, despite the two apparently being identical.

Tesco’s standard UHT semihis skimmed milk is 90p for a litre, while its Everyday Value UHT is 49p per litre. Both brands have the same nutritional value and come from the same plant, according to carton codes.

A taste test on Asda’s own mild cheddar found no real difference to its Smart Price pack. One shopper even preferred the cheaper option.

Ratula Chakraborty, a retail expert at the University of East Anglia, said supermarkets having multiple price tiers ‘gives the consumer an illusion of choice’.

But she said: ‘If the only difference is packaging then we are being misled. If there is a slight difference then possibly not.’

She added: ‘If you really switch to budget labels you will save tons of money.’

One shopper questioned on the show said she steers away from buying value products because of the ‘shame’ of putting cheap items through the till.

When challenged about the similarities between lines, Tesco said: ‘We’ve looked in to this issue immediately and are reviewing our approach to these products.’

Sainsbury’s said: ‘There are many factors that can affect the product specification and this will inform the range it is placed in and price.’

Asda said its standard line of mild cheddar was matured for longer than the value version. It also has a re-sealable pack.

Supershoppers is on Channel 4 on Monday at 8.30pm.

‘Only difference is packaging’