Wednesday, 22 June 2011
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Generic Brand Products: Healthy or Not?
I like to buy generic or store brand products sometimes. I feel that they're up to par with brand name products and besides they save me a few bucks here and there. I prefer buying generic band-aids, sunscreen and even medicine. Purchasing generic brands has become increasingly popular, especially in this struggling economy, yet there is still a stigma attached to it.
In terms of taste, I've actually tasted a generic version of Cheerios before and it tastes almost identical to the national brand.
According to a 2009 Consumer Report, in a series of blind tests, trained tasters compared well-known brands to store brands for taste in 29 food categories. Generic and national brands tasted about equally as good 19 times. Four times, the generic brand won and six times, the well-known brand won.
But what about medication? I prefer generic brand medication to name brand medicine. In fact, my sister had a bad cold last winter and the generic version of Sudafed worked as well, if not better than the national brand. Generic brand medication must have the same active ingredient as non-generic and must be approved by the FDA like non-generics, also. I've even encountered doctors recommending generic brands. Thousands of women also take generic birth control.
Yet, I still hear people at supermarkets or drugstores belittle the generic brands. Even my mother was upset that I bought a generic set of sunscreen for this summer.
Is purchasing generic brand products unhealthy? I believe it's not, but what do you think?
Do you buy certain products that are generic? If so, then what type of products? Why do you think some people have a stigma with generic brands?
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- From: Olympia
- About Me: I'm a broadcast journalism and anthropology major. Health and science are my nerdy passions. I hope my blogs motivate, inform and sometimes shock you, but only in a good way of course :) Twitter: OlympiaBardis
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Comments (11)
Perform a titration.
I also buy generic medicine. Especially sleep aids. Way less expensive.
I don't buy generic stuff usually. I feel like the medicines work better.
I'll buy generic/store brand paper towels and such... and we buy a lot of the SO's stuff like pasta and salad dressings in generic form... But I mostly eat fresh foods... which don't come in generic brands. :P
For medicines... it depends. I buy real Excedrin... but I use asprin as part of a face mask, so I buy generic.
One thing I remember CLEARLY from childhood, though... is that generic fruit loops all taste like lemon. D:
I buy generic pretty much all the time. Different brands of generic can be slightly different (such as Equate's version of pepto bismal versus CVS version).
I really like cinnamon Cheerios but at $4 for a super small box, I've decided to buy generic plain Cheerios and I put a packet of Splenda and cinnamon on them. It tastes about the same and has fewer calories.
the thing with generic brands of food is that you need to check the ingredients! I'm a vegetarian and on a budget, so when I shop at cheap grocery places like Wal-Mart (don't judge me for this morally, once I can afford to shop at other places I will) I like to buy their generic brand, Great Value, when I can. However on many of their generic things like vegetable soup, frozen veggies, even graham crackers, they say things like "may be traces of milk, eggs, fish, or shellfish." For most people this wouldn't matter (pending allergies) but as a vegetarian I don't want traces of fish in my frozen peas, thanks! It's all about production quality and what you will tolerate when it comes to brand names vs. generics!
Did you know that a lot of generics are actually produced by the name brand company? They put different packaging. Quaker Oats makes their own cereals plus the generic cereals that come in a bag (I can't remember the brand name off of the top of my head). General Mills does the same. I can't remember if it's Jiffy or Skippy peanut butter also makes the Walmart brand of peanut butter.
I buy what is cheapest. If the brand name is on sale for cheaper than the generic, I'll buy that. Otherwise, I buy generic. Lack of pretty packaging doesn't bother me. =)
I buy generic when available because it's all the same to me. Especially medication since that is exactly the same stuff and doesn't even have that "it tastes a bit different" issue generic food does, or being of a slightly different quality like many other products face.
It really depends what the item is.
Some generic foods don't taste as good. But things like bandaids, washcloths, etc, most things that are disposable, have similar quality so I go with those.
I usually trust generic brand medicine and household items because they can't stray that far from the original but food is something you always need to check. Even if it's the same ingredients, the quality is usually what separates the pricing.
I was looking at hommus the other day and while the brand name stuff used organic chickpeas, lemon juice and olive oil the generic had canola oil and artificial acids which may not make the taste any different but it certainly isn't something you want in your body.
I have a friend who can NOT take the generic brand of her medicine because it makes her sucidical and the generics doesn't work for what she needs them for. Like, they don't work. At ALL. They do nothing for her. So, I'd say to do your research before fully going on them in the case for medicines. I'd also say to check on the food ingredient list as well. Between allergies and not knowing what they replace things with, you can never be 100% sure.
While I'm all for generics, I'm only for them if they work for what you need them for. And I'd say the same thing for the name brand things as well.