Pick n pay on no-name brands

We would be grateful for the opportunity to respond in your newspaper to the article entitled ‘How do you feel about no-name brands?’ published in the Times of Swaziland on February 22, 2011.

The article, compiled by Nikita Geldenhuys, discusses the health attributes of private label (chain store brand products) compared to national brand products (brand name products). There are a number of inaccuracies in the article which we wish to point out.

Nondumiso Vilane is initially referred to as a nutritionist and later a ‘dietician from Mbabane Government Hospital’. There is a major difference in qualification between a nutritionist and a dietician.

The field of food nutrition, as well as food science and technology, is the domain of nutritionists, food technologists and food scientists.

The article states that ‘chain store brands are less costly because they are mostly less healthy.’　

There is no scientific evidence which suggests that national brand products are more nutritious than ‘chain-store brands’, and the price difference between these products has nothing to do with their nutritional content.

We also disagree with the recommendation and assertion that consumers ‘choose the products with less fat, sugar and additives...they (the products) are often just added for taste and have no nutritional value.’

Fat and sugar offer nutrition and additives are added to provide a specific function in food production and often, as in the case of preservatives, make food products safer for longer periods of time.　

All additives that are used in food production are fully approved by the Department of Health for use in foods.

In the ‘Dietician’s choice’ review, Pick n Pay crunchy peanut butter is compared to Black Cat ‘health’ peanut butter. In order to effectively compare products, one should look at similar products.

The Black Cat peanut butter was developed specifically for consumers who prefer no added sugar and salt (i.e. people with diabetes).

It is generally more expensive than Black Cat’s other brands which contain added sugar and fat.

The ‘Dietician’s choice’ review compares Pick n Pay’s brand to Kellogg’s cornflakes.

In this case, the nutritional concern seems to be centred on trans-fatty acids. In most cases, cornflakes are not a major source of trans-fats.

We believe your readers may have benefited from a comparison which was focused on comparing the sodium, sugar and fibre contents between the brands.

Even though Pick n Pay cornflakes is a source of, or high in, selected micronutrients, both the Pick n Pay and the Kellogg’s cornflakes are fortified with a similar range of these vitamins and minerals, so recommending one above the other in this case is invalid.　

We would furthermore like to point out other inaccuracies in the article. In comparing the sweetcorn brands, there is a claim that ‘modified maize starch helps your stomach digest food better.’ It is also mentioned that plain starch is not as healthy as modified maize starch. Both statements are inaccurate as modified maize starch is not a healthy alternative to starch.

In addition, both starch and modified starch are used in small quantities to thicken certain products and their use, therefore, does not contribute to the nutritional content of the product concerned.　

The recommendation given that suggests ‘choose a product with modified corn starch’ is therefore invalid.

The enzymes used in the manufacture of Marie biscuits do not make them any healthier. These enzymes do not break down food in the digestive system, as is claimed in the article and this is highly misleading.　

In addition, the amount of egg in a serving of two-three biscuits will not be significant in raising blood cholesterol levels, so this is also not valid.　 The focus should rather be on which of the biscuits have less trans-fats, saturated fats and sugar.

Here are some useful tips to assist with identifying healthier products:

l Quantities of sugar do differ significantly between different food categories but it is important to look at ‘added sugar’ as well as the ‘total sugar’ to get a more accurate representation.

l Salt is indicated as ‘sodium’ on the nutritional table and levels also differ significantly between categories.

l All food additives, including preservatives, comply with the Department of Health’s regulations regarding the type and quantity used for food categories.

l Identifying a healthy food is a very complex matter and it involves portion sizes, food categories and the health status of a particular country. It goes beyond only focusing on sugar, trans-fats, preservatives and salt.

We hope our correspondence in response to the article may prove helpful in any further analysis The Times of Swaziland undertakes about Pick n Pay.　We would be happy to provide you with an unbiased review of products in the future.

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