Generic corn versus brand name corn

One day while standing in the canned goods isle of my grocery store, I happened to glance at two cans of whole corn that were displayed side by side. One was a generic brand called ‘Always Save’ while the other was a can by ‘Del Monte’ No Salt Added. The price for the Always Save was fifty-five cents while the price for what appeared to be the exact same thing was $1.39. (Note: on the day I purchased this product, it was on sale for $1.15 so I did get a bit of a break).

“Why would that be,” I thought to myself. So, I grabbed both cans to take home with me. I wanted to take a close look at each and to perform a simple test to see just what that extra 60 cents was getting me or not getting me.

After arriving home, I also sent quick emails off to the folks of both companies to see what their views were on the subject of cost versus quality. Both responded in prompt fashion and while Del Monte suggested I do my own research, Always Save informed me that much of the difference in cost was due to differences in advertising strategies.

Test One – A nutritional comparison

The first thing I would think about two identical products that were so dissimilar in price was that perhaps one was less nutritional than the other. Here are some differences I discovered:

Weight: Always Save 432 grams versus Del Monte also at 432 grams so both are the same as far as contents go. After opening the cans, I found both to contained about 2/3 of a cup of liquid. The Always Save had about ten grams more kernel by weight but I cannot count this as a factor since my technique to remove the liquid from each was not very scientific.

Ingredients: Always Save has listed on its label as having Corn, Water, Sugar and Salt versus Del Monte's with only Corn and water. The No-salt added bit is definitely a plus for the Del Monte product as salt acts as a flavor enhancer at the expense of your health.

Calories: Always Save had 80 calories in a 125 gram serving versus Del Monte at 60 for the same size serving. Once again, I’d score the Del Monte product higher for the fewer calories.

Salt: Always Save with 310 mg per serving versus Del Monte at 10 mg. While I’m not sure why something that has less of an ingredient should be worth more, this is another reason why you might consider paying a little extra.

Test Two – Appearance

OK. Let’s take a look at appearances. After all they do count.  I dumped both cans out into identical bowls and took a hard look. You may or not be able to make out one immediate difference. The Del Monte kernels are definitely fuller and of a darker yellow color than the AS kernels. Score another one for the Del Monte product.

Test Three – Taste

After sampling both, I gravitated toward the Del Monte mainly because the kernels were fuller with more flavor than those of the Always Save. This test was done without salt, pepper or butter so the overall taste of both was bland. Although an interesting point is that the Del Monte with no added salt did taste richer.

Conclusion

OK. I can hear some out there in the blogosphere that are saying this was not a fair test as the generic product had salt whereas the brand name did not. But, that is part of the point here I think. You get often a better choice from the branded cans than you do from the generic. In practical terms, if you are not concerned with sodium levels or calories, then by all means go for the cheap stuff. In my case, while I would use the generic as part of a recipe like Chili Con Carne, I would want the more expensive Del Monte when presenting this vegetable as a side and where my health is concerned.

Disclaimer: This test was not of a scientific nature and may or may reflect reality. This work and the results obtained in this comparison are the sole opinion of the author.I feel both products are made using the highest of standards and represent viable, good tasting products to the consuming public.