The Difference Between Brand Name and Generic Foods and Drugs Explained

AsapSCIENCE took a closer look at the difference between brand name versus generic food and drugs and in doing so, explained why the difference between the two is minimal or non-existent and conducted a taste test of their own.

Next time you’re at the grocery store trying compare the ingredient list and nutritional information of a generic item with its brand counterparts. Even if they aren’t identical, which they sometimes are, it will give you a sense of how similar they can be and studies show that on average generic brands run 30% cheaper. Furthermore many staple food products like sugar and salts are regulated by the FDA. And think about it table salt also known as sodium chloride only contains two elements from the periodic table how variable could it really be? …Generic products whether food drugs or otherwise can be, but aren’t always equal to their branding counterpart. So save those dollar bills and buy something special. We actually put together our own taste test to see if anyone could tell the difference between their favorite brands and the generic counterpart.

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.