Study Finds Store-Brand Foods Cheaper but Often Less Healthy
An analysis of over 3,000 products reveals widespread use of additives and lower nutritional quality in private-label foods, despite their growing popularity due to inflation.
- Private-label products are on average 20-30% cheaper than name-brand equivalents, contributing to their increased popularity during recent years of inflation.
- A significant portion of these products have low Nutri-Scores ('D' or 'E'), indicating poor nutritional quality, with additives like emulsifiers and nitrates often present.
- Only four out of 30 commonly sold products analyzed received a 'good' rating, while eight were rated 'very poor' in terms of composition and nutrition.
- Price disparities were observed between retailers, with E. Leclerc offering the lowest prices, while Monoprix products were on average 16.7% more expensive.
- The study highlights variability in additive use, noting that some brands avoid them entirely while others include multiple additives in a single product.
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