Do you feel comfortable buying "no name" or "store brand" products? Country specific please (yes, sometimes it does matter). [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img] What grocery store chains are you okay with and what ones aren't you with and why or why not? (i.e., you feel they're really well labeled products, etc.).
Okay, for me personally, and I do have to check this out further, I have never been comfortable with Loblaw's "no name" or "store brand" (i.e., President's Choice) products. Why? Because of what I have consistently been told when I have phoned to inquire about PA safety. That you have to call them with the UPC code of the product that you want to purchase and only then can they tell you if it is "safe" due to out-sourcing, etc.
So, to me, a big pain in the butt. I'm not going to pick up an item, write down the code, go out and phone (although I do have that handy dandy cell phone on loan), check to see if it's PA safe or not and then come back in the store. I'm going to buy the more expensive name brand one because again, big pain in the butt, rather be safe than sorry, yadda yadda.
But, interestingly enough, A&P and Sobey's (oh, sorry, this is all Canada specific) have given me really *good* responses IMHO about their store brand or no name products and I know that with A&P, I do feel comfortable buying their no name or store brand products based on the response I have consistently received from them and also, what I believe is considered to be really good labeling.
It's okay to say NO, I NEVER buy them. It's okay to say, yes, I do buy them. I understand that this *could* be construed as a "comfort zone" thing and perhaps it very well is, but I'd like to ask that we respect one another so that we might get some interesting and helpful answers.
Many thanks and best wishes! [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]
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![http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]](http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]){kind=link}
I'm in the US. I will sometimes use Kroger brand foods (only certain ones that I have called about) but that's it. I'll use other stores' generic drinking water but no other foods/drinks.
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[b]~Gale~[/b]
(Canada) I tend to avoid many no-name products as I think the large national brands are more likely to have good labelling practices and better manufacturing processes. For example, if I see a no-name chocolate bar in the store, I would not buy it, as I would prefer to buy a national brand (ie: Nestle) as I know they label well.
With regards to grocery store chains, I would say the following:
A&P and Dominion:
- I am totally comfortable with their laeblling and will buy the no-name (Equality and Master Choice) brands
- I also buy baked goods from their bakery as they do not use peanuts, and I buy other of their baked goods (ie: Front Street pies) which have no peanut warnings
Loblaws:
- I have never bought Loblaws generic no-name (since I do not know if they use allergy alerts), but I do buy the "President's Choice" brand as I have found the labelling to be very good as many of the products do use allergy alerts
- I do not buy baked goods from their bakery as I do not know if they are safe
IGA/Sobey's:
- there are no locations near me so I do not buy their no name products
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So in summary, I do buy some no-name products, but I am more cafeful with them than I would be of national brands. And now it's sleep time [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]
[This message has been edited by erik (edited May 02, 2004).]
Some things are purchased for my family, but not for me. (I do allow may-contains in my home, but I don't eat them.)
Canada specific: Equality - I don't purchase often because we don't like the products. MasterChoice, buy a few, but again, don't like the products.
Loblaws/PC: Don't buy the *yellow* no-name. Don't like the products. Do buy PC as I've seen allergy alerts on some products, and they are one of the few store brands that I do like the quality.
So in our case, I guess it's more a quality thing than an allergy thing.
Canadian specific.
I buy some Loblaws No Name brand items. For instance, I buy the No Name cheesies; mac & cheese; tomato soup; brown beans; marshmallows, stewed tomatoes with herbs and spices; tomato paste; canned peaches; canned pears and long grain rice. To date we have had no problems with these items.
I do not buy any other no name brand from other stores, as I do not feel comfortable with them.
USA specific-
I will by Meijer grocery store brand, as they label for the top 8.
Otherwise, we stick with the name brands we trust.
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Tina
Trevor age 2 -PA
Harmony age 1 -KNA
It's a BOY!!! due June 24, 2004
The only thing I can think of that I buy of a store brand is Shredded Cheddar or Mozzarella cheese, and then not usually very often as the name brands are either on sale or I am at the warehouse club and the name brand is just as cheap as smaller store's generic.
As ds is also soy allergic (oil and lecithin too) there are very few generic items available for our needs so not an issue. I have never seen safe generic crackers or chips, no safe soups or stuff like that so it's not much of an issue.
Should I find a safe generic in the future, I would probably be leery as I think that they outsource to the cheapest manufacturer and stuff may change too quickly for their labeling (if they did label well) to keep up. Again though I have not found many safe generic products to suit our needs, I think for me personally I would be too nervous.
I am Canadian [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/wink.gif[/img]
I use no-name ice-cream cones, cheese, PC mac & cheese(the white cheddar Yummy)just recently no-name choc.fudge icing for Megan's cake(although Austin had white cake with Betty Crocker white icing).
I also use no-name perogies and Equality perogies(just the cheddar ones [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/wink.gif[/img] no-name sour cream.
If I can think of anything else, I'll let you know.
[This message has been edited by smack (edited May 03, 2004).]
Short and simple...NO!!!!
Private label goods come from multiple suppliers and distributors etc.
As always be sure to contact the company and read all labels.
No. I don
Quote:Originally posted by B's Mom:
[b]Who knows where this stuff is being processed. I don
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