Consumer Reports Taste-Tests Private Labels, National Brands

YONKERS, N.Y. — More than half of the store brands blind-tasted in a Consumer Reports test tied or beat their name-brand rivals.

Nineteen private-label/national-brand pairs were tested, with store brands tying name brands for taste in 10 instances. One store-brand product, Giant Eagle chicken broth, beat Swanson.

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Wegmans peanut butter, Meijer cranberry juice, Winn-Dixie Greek yogurt and Target’s Market Pantry classic ranch dressing tied Skippy peanut butter, Ocean Spray cranberry juice, Chobani Greek yogurt and Hidden Valley ranch dressing, respectively.

Eight name brands came out on top in the taste-off, including Ben & Jerry’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream over Kroger Private Selection, Stouffer’s lasagna over Eating Right lasagna and Quaker oats over Publix Old Fashioned oats.

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