Abstract
Supermarket private-label products are perceived to be lower quality than their branded counterparts. Excess dietary sodium in foods contributes to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Sodium concentrations in products are an important indicator of quality. We compared the sodium content of 15,680 supermarket private-label and branded products, available in four Australian supermarkets between 2011–2013, overall and for 15 food categories. Mean sodium values were compared for: (1) all products in 2013; (2) products in both 2011 and 2013; and (3) products only in 2013. Comparisons were made using paired and unpaired t tests. In each year the proportion of supermarket private-label products was 31%–32%, with overall mean sodium content 17% (12%–23%) lower than branded products in 2013 (p ≤ 0.001). For products available in both 2011 and 2013 there was a ≤2% (1%–3%) mean sodium reduction overall with no difference in reformulation between supermarket private-label and branded products (p = 0.73). New supermarket private-label products in 2013 were 11% lower in sodium than their branded counterparts (p = 0.02). Supermarket private-label products performed generally better than branded in terms of their sodium content. Lower sodium intake translates into lower blood pressure; some supermarket private-label products may be a good option for Australians needing to limit their sodium intake.
Highlights
While there remains some debate [1] excess dietary sodium has been identified by the World HealthOrganization (WHO) as a modifiable risk factor for raised blood pressure and a major contributor to cardiovascular disease (CVD) [2]
While very few studies have conducted in-depth analyses comparing the nutritional quality of private-label versus branded products, consumers have traditionally perceived private-label products to be of lower quality than their branded counterparts [16,17,18]
Data were obtained directly from the mandatory Nutrition Information Panel (NIP) on product packaging but where exactly the same branded product was for sale in more than one supermarket, it was recorded only once
Summary
While there remains some debate [1] excess dietary sodium has been identified by the World HealthOrganization (WHO) as a modifiable risk factor for raised blood pressure and a major contributor to cardiovascular disease (CVD) [2]. The packaged food items within each food category may be branded and owned by the supermarket, and sold exclusively in the supermarkets’ own stores. Such items are often referred to as “supermarket brands”, “own label” or “home-brand”, and are hereafter referred to as “private-label” products. While very few studies have conducted in-depth analyses comparing the nutritional quality of private-label versus branded products, consumers have traditionally perceived private-label products to be of lower quality than their branded counterparts [16,17,18] Some retailers differentiate their private-label offering between value-, mid- and premium products [16]. The dollar share of private-label sales differs tremendously between countries (0%–45%) and between product categories, with total share predicted to rise in Australia from 24% to nearer 30% [16,18,19,20,21,22]
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