Will the real slim shady, please stand up! (Who makes your 'generic' goods)

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  [Deactivated] on 23/03/2011 - 05:07

  "Choc coated" homebrand and coles savings icecreams seem to be the same as the Bulla ones although the woolworths ones are a different shape…They're really nice!

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    ESEMCE on 23/03/2011 - 10:40

    That depends what state you live in..

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  ESEMCE on 23/03/2011 - 11:08

  +2

  I used to work for a Confectionery manufacturer in SA. I won't mention the name, but a small amount of investigation ought to reveal the name anyway..

  As per my comment above, a lot of the suppliers will vary depending on the state you live in… reason as follows:
  The Supermarkets put regions out to tender. Some suppliers will tender for all regions.. They may win some, they may win them all.. it just depends on who else tenders… obviously a local supplier can save on Transport, so if their manufacturing cost is the same, this could get them over the line in one region slightly cheaper than an Interstate supplier…

  It's also important to note that in almost every case that I'm aware of the quality of ingredients used for the Generic Brand product is lower than the Brand Name product produced in the same Factory.
  Chinese Ingredients in particular show up a lot in Generic Brand product. (they show up in Brand Name product too, but moreso in Generics)
  Note that a Product labelled as “Product of Australia” means all the significant ingredients must originate here, and almost all the manufacturing or processing must be done in Australia. ie in an Apricot Pie, at least 50% of the Apricots must be Australian and the pie itself must be made here…
  Made in Australia just means it was made here… Invariably, it means that the ingredients and predominantly or wholly imported.

  The company I used to work for make all the generic brand choc honeycomb (for all brands in all states), unless it's not made in Australia. They're the only Choc Honeycomb manufacturer in the country apart from Cadbury and Nestle who refuse to make generic product as it dilutes their own brands.
  Since they basically have a monopoly on the generic market (it's so bulky but lightweight that imports are pretty expensive to ship in decent quantity), there is decent money in making "generic" brand product..
  (they'll hate me for saying this but, Honeycomb is the exception to the rule on lower quality product being used.. in this case, it's all the same quality going into different packets)

  They also make a large majority of the "old school" bagged peppermints (not boiled lollies) for Aldi, Coles, Woolies and IGA.

  They used to do a lot of the Chocolate Sultanas, Almonds and Peanuts too, but stopped a few years ago cause there was literally no profit margin… we were selling to Coles/Woolies at cost price. At the time it helped amortise new equipment costs, but after a few years it became too much of a hassle and the equipment had been repaid.
  I know that ErnestHillier make a lot of that product for Eastern-states nowadays (I know this because they had at least one Allergy related recall a couple of years ago).. I think SA and WA may be covered by another supplier though…

  From Industry contacts, I know that:
  P&N Juices make a lot of the generic Fruit Juice.
  Christie Tea in SA did Home Brand Tea Bags (3 years ago at least)
  Golden North Ice-Cream in SA do make Generic Brand Ice-Cream, but it's to a lower quality recipe than their branded stuff.
  Schweppes in SA used to do the 1.25L Coles and IGA brand soft Drinks for SA/Vic.. but that was 10 years ago…

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    CuteChocobo on 23/03/2011 - 11:20

    Wow, I learnt a lot today =)
    btw, I <3 honeycomb… and since all the same quality in diff bags I just go for the cheapest?

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      ESEMCE on 23/03/2011 - 13:22

      +1

      Yeah.. pretty much.
      There were some plans looking forward to make a higher end product with Milk Chocolate rather than Compounded Chocolate. That'll go into a totally different price-point though as Milk Chocolate is roughly twice the price to make (pretty much purely due to the raw material costs of Cocoa Butter Vs Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil).

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    bendertiger on 23/03/2011 - 11:51

    Wow :) Thankyou!

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  mstaveley on 23/03/2011 - 11:53

  +1

  Aldi babyfood is made by Heinz (its printed on the back of the tin)

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  ESEMCE on 23/03/2011 - 12:33

  +1

  Thought of a couple more:
  Snows Confectionery (NSW) make a lot of the boiled lollies.
  Generic Brand sugar is packed at the same factories (Manildra or Sugar Australia) as Branded Sugar… (can't comment on Quality difference, but it's conceiveable that there might be a slight difference… unlikely though)

  and it wouldn't surprise me at all if Generic Bread was made by Tip Top or Buttercup… Buttercup (once again used to) make the Buns for Maccas.

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  cheapskateasian on 23/03/2011 - 13:43

  +1

  I worked at Tip Top and I can confirm Woolworths branded bread is made and distributed by Tip Top.

  They all come from the same plant, just packaged in different bags, and they are all placed together on the same crates to be sent out to the stores.