in brand names, you have natural food like, tomatoes and cheese for example. what the difference between lets say a can of tomatoes labeled, "Hunt's" and one labeled "Parade".
There are really big price differences, but a tomatoes is a natural food, so is there really a difference in the actual item?
mcspic63
Favorite Answer
maybe a difference in the type or style of the actual fruit or veggie
different packers may use different varieties which will affect taste,texture and quality---although i have found that most are close enough where most people won't be able to tell the difference
Scott F
With vegetables, it's really a matter of two things: how good the initial produce is, and what the manufacturer does to it when it processes and packages it. In some cases the larger manufacturers have access to better-quality produce because they have the economy of scale on their side, but in other cases a smaller label can focus more on quality, can negotiate more personally with the grower, and can produce a more distinct and individual product. The best advice I can give you is to taste several brands; I have determined that the Muir Glen Organics brand of tomato products are my favorites, because they look, taste and cook up better than other brands. They have more and better flavor, are available in interesting packaging combinations (chopped tomatoes with basil, or fire-roasted tomatoes with garlic being two of their varieties), and because we do a lot of Italian cooking, the quality of the tomatoes is something we can't hide.
Cheese is a completely different issue, because it's a man-made product. For "commodity" or mass-produced cheeses (cheddar, jack, etc.), you may well find that the store-brand cheese is adequate and less expensive than the nationally advertised brands. However, if you are talking about traditional regional specialty cheeses from Europe (and, increasingly, regional cheeses from the US), there can be a HUGE difference in quality, texture, taste and aroma between two cheeses of the same type. Compare, for example, a commercial, nationally-advertised cheddar against an aged white Irish cheddar, or if you like blue cheeses, set up a tasting of Oregon blue, Maytag Blue (from the San Francisco area, and yes, it's the same Maytag family as the appliance maker), English Stilton, and an Italian fior di latte gorgonzola. In the spectrum of "what's in a name," cheese is closer to wine than it is to tomatoes, beans or other canned vegetables.
Sr.
In some cases cheaper no name foods are every bit as good as the brand name products. But in other cases the brand name ones are much better. The reasons can range from where the product is coming from to how they handle it in the factory. As far as Tomatoes go some companies may pick a higher standard from the fields and they may have a processing plant that is up to higher standard like being clean and sanitary. The only way to tell is by your own taste or visiting and researching the companies themselves.
Robert S
Sometimes the process and or its controls are substantially different. I grew up poor and ate some foods that came out of cans with black and white labels and names like green beans or bread and the like. Lots of twigs and things. These days a lot of "off brands" and store brands are made by the same plants. Overall quality has improved. So even poor people don't have to eat twigs and stuff, its a beautiful thing!
jerry
no difference