1. Food Items With the Greatest Significant Differences Between Brands
Comparing Private Label (Store) Brands to National Brands for Sodium and Sugar
Jaspreet KC Ahuja1, Robin Thomas1, Shirley Wasswa-Kintu1, Marlon Daniel1, Pamela Pehrsson1, Mary Cogswell2. 1USDA-ARS-Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center, 2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Results
Abstract:
Private label (store) brands account for about a quarter of the unit food sales in the United States. The sodium and sugar content of store versus national brands is unclear. We sampled and analyzed 125 highly consumed, sodium-contributing foods as part of an inter-agency sodium-monitoring project. In post-hoc comparative analysis, we determined whether sodium and total sugar content significantly differed by brand type (national versus store) for 58 foods in which both brand types represented a major market share. Market share was determined using total unit sales from Nielsen ScanTrack data. Sodium was analyzed using the Inductively Coupled Plasma method (AOAC ) for each of 746 nationwide sample composites representing the 58 foods. Individual sugar content (galactose, glucose, fructose, lactose, maltose, and sucrose) were analyzed using liquid chromatography (AOAC ) and summed as total sugars for 500 composites representing 38 foods. We determined mean sodium and total sugar content per 100g by food and brand type, and tested for statistically significant differences (p<0.05)for each food and as a group. For sodium, differences between the brands were significant for 16 of 58 foods and ranged from 39% to -64%;sodium was higher in store brands for 6 of 16 foods. For total sugar, the differences were statistically significant for 7 of 38 foods and ranged from 10% to -26%. Total sugar was higher in store brands for 3 of 7 foods. When combined across all foods analyzed, sodium and sugar content did not differ by brand type (p=0.59, sodium; p=0.62, sugar). However, for some foods, sodium and sugar content differed significantly by brand type. These data suggest that both store and national brands should continue to be sampled and analyzed to estimate the sodium and sugar content of foods.
Objective:
To compare sodium and total sugar values of highly consumed, comparable products by type of brand – major national vs. private label (store). Null hypothesis: There is no statistical difference in the mean sodium and total sugar content in foods by type of brand category (store vs national).
Background:
Store brands are products that stores put their own names or brands on. They account for ~25% of unit sales in the U.S. and may provide value for the consumers. Their growth has outpaced the national brand market (Private Label Manufacturers Association), however, it is unclear how they compare to major national brands in terms of nutrients.
Nutrient Data Laboratory, Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in collaboration with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is monitoring levels of sodium, total sugar and other nutrients in commercially processed and restaurant foods in the U.S. (Ahuja, et al, 2015). As part of the program, 125 highly popular, sodium contributing foods were sampled nationwide in and analyzed subsequently. This current study’s analyses are based on 58 food items for which both national and store brands were sampled, as they represented major market share of the product.
Laboratory analytical data from the program was used to update the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (SR), the most authoritative food composition database in the U.S. It is used as the foundation for most food composition databases and for national nutrition monitoring.
Methods:
Sampling: A specific sampling plan was developed for each food item. We sampled top national and store brands from 12 locations nationwide aiming to represent 70-80% of retail sales for each food, based on Nielsen 2009 point-of-sales data.
Analysis: Samples of food items were analyzed using valid, approved analytical methods. Sodium was measured by Inductively Coupled Plasma method (AOAC ) for each of 746 nationwide sample composites representing the 58 foods and Individual sugar content (galactose, glucose, fructose, lactose, maltose, and sucrose) were analyzed using liquid chromatography (AOAC ) and summed as total sugars for 500 composites representing 38 foods. In-house control materials and Standard Reference Materials were employed to monitor accuracy of analyses.
Statistical Analyses: We calculated mean and standard deviation (SD) for sodium and sugar levels per 100 gram for each food, based on samples from national and store brands. We then tested for statistically significant differences (p<0.05) for each food and as a group, using independent sample t-tests and Mann Whitney tests, as appropriate.
Each vertical pair of values (red and blue) represents the mean sodium value of a food by brand type
Each vertical pair of values (red and blue) represents the mean sugar value of a food by brand type
National brands: n=498, mean=655 ± 401 mg/100 g
Store brands: n=248, mean=639 ± 397 mg/100 g, P value: 0.588
National brands: n=413, mean=8.54 ± g/100 g
Store brands: n=87, mean=7.89 ± g/ 100 g, P value: 0.621
Food Items With the Greatest Significant Differences Between Brands
Total Sugar (g/100 g)
Sodium (mg/100 g)
Description n
National
Store
Ratio* p
Cookies, chocolate sandwich, with crème filling, regular 19
39.45
44.01
0.9
0.0075
Biscuits, plain or buttermilk, refrigerated dough, higher fat, baked 12
7.92
8.68
0.0141
Toaster Pastries, fruit, frosted 32
30.87
32.46
1.0
0.0126
Peanuts, dry-roasted, with salt 20
5.03
4.61
1.1
Tomatoes, canned, packed in tomato juice 23
2.83
2.35
1.2
0.0064
Bread, wheat 49
6.52
5.41
0.0004
Spaghetti, with meatballs in tomato sauce, canned 21
2.98
2.36
1.3
0.0073
Description n
National
Store
Ratio* p
Spaghetti, with meatballs in tomato sauce, canned 18
248
404
0.6
0.0009
Peanuts, dry-roasted, with salt 14
339
498
0.7
0.0051
Frankfurter, meat and poultry
829
1065
0.8
Tomato juice, canned, with salt added 12
278
230
1.2
0.005
Salami, pork, beef 11
1853
1467
1.3
0.0321
Tomato sauce, canned, with salt added
575
417
1.4
0.0472
Potato puffs, frozen, unprepared
458
331
0.0222
Pickles, cucumber, dill or Kosher dill
864
615
0.0245
Tomatoes, canned, packed in tomato juice 15
136 83
1.6
0.0433
* National mean/Store mean
16 of 58 foods were significantly different; sodium was higher in store brands for 6 of 16 foods.
* National mean/Store mean
7 of 38 foods were significantly different; total sugar was higher in store brands for 3 of 7 foods.
Implications:
Among the foods sampled, there were no overall differences in sodium and total sugar levels by brand category. However, for some foods, sodium and sugar content differed significantly. For consumers, this implies the need to read labels for selecting products low in sodium and total sugar as products vary. For food composition database managers, data suggest that both store and national brands should continue to be sampled and analyzed to estimate the sodium and sugar content of foods.
References:
Private Label Manufacturers association,
Ahuja J, Pehrsson P, Haytowitz D, Wasswa-Kintu S, Nickle M, Showell B, Thomas R, Roseland J, Williams J, Khan M, Nguyen QV, Hoy K, Martin C, Rhodes D, Moshfegh A, Gillespie C, Gunn J, Merritt R, Cogswell M. Monitoring sodium in commercially processed and restaurant foods. Am J Clin Nutr 2015; 101:
Funding Source: CDC-USDA Agreement
The findings and conclusions in this poster are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention