Commercials and advertisements help us recognize brand-name products at the grocery store and pharmacy. They’re strategically positioned at eye-level and often demand more of our money than the generic brands. People often stereotype these store brands as less tasty, of poor quality, or just less effective than their counterparts, but is there really a difference between brand names and generics when it comes to food and drugs?

In AsapSCIENCE’s latest video, “Brand Name vs. Generic,” hosts Mitchell Moffit and Gregory Brown explain when it comes to food, there are many large brand-name manufacturers who often use their excess capacity and expertise to produce generic-label products alongside their trusted brands. For example, in 2007, the Peter Pan brand of peanut butter was found to be contaminated with salmonella and recalled, and as a result, Walmart's “Great Value” brand of peanut butter was also taken off the shelves.

Comparing the ingredient list and nutritional information of a generic item with its brand name can give us a sense of how similar two products can be. On average, generic brands run up to 30 percent cheaper than their brand-name counterparts. So, does a product being generic or brand name affect its taste or quality?

Packing may play a role in how we perceive taste of certain brands. In a study, students were given free coffee and asked to rate it. The researchers found if the cream and sugar were placed in fancy containers on a silver tray versus in Styrofoam cups, the students preferred the fancy brew despite the coffee being the same. Here, the placebo effect proves to be strong when it comes to our taste preferences, but things are different when it comes to drugs.

Generic drugs must be the same as the brand name drugs. For example, ibuprofen is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that treats headaches, fevers, and minor aches and pains, and is sold under brand names like Advil and Nurofen, but the base of these pills is the exact same thing: 200 milligrams of ibuprofen, the same dosage, safety, strength, and intended use. Generic drugs go through a series of stringent regulatory tests to prove their bioequivalence to the brand name. The only way in which the pills may differ is between their filler ingredients which could include starch or gelatin flavoring in different colors.

So, while they aren't exactly the same, they are “effectively the same”. In a 2008 study, when the participants were told a pill cost 10 cents, only 60 percent of people felt pain relief, but if they were told that the pill cost $2.50, a whole 85.4 percent of participants claimed to feel relief from the pain. The placebo effect proves to be one of the most effective tools brand-name marketing relies on.

Generic foods or drugs may not always equal their brand-name counterparts when it comes to ingredients, but they can be just as tasty or (cost) effective.