Do you choose the slightly more expensive version of supermarket own brands over their ‘value’ ranges?

That few extra pence must mean the quality is better, right?

Well, a Mirror investigation has found no difference in ingredients or nutritional value between the bottom priced own-brand ranges and the slightly more expensive supermarket versions of many supermarket items.

Some own-label and value items came from the same factory, with identical weight and nutritional values. Only the packaging and price were different, the Mirror says.

James Walker, of complaints website Resolver, said: “Flogging the same products at different prices is misleading for shoppers.” Corned Beef by Sainsbury’s, at £1.75, and Sainsbury’s Basics Corned Beef, £1.50, came from the same plant in Brazil, the tins’ production codes show.”

The research revealed a 500g box of Tesco’s Everyday Value cornflakes costs 45p, but is the same size as the £1 own-label version. Both have the same ingredients and nutritional information.

Morrisons’ Savers salted butter has identical milk and salt percentages, nutritional value and factory codes as its own-label option, which costs 10p more. Its skimmed Long Life British milk and Savers UHT also had the same nutritional value, but one costs 88p and the other is just 57p per litre.

Tesco said: “We want all our own-brand products [to] offer real value and are reviewing our approach to these.”

Sainsbury’s said: “There are many factors which inform product specification. This will dictate the range it is in.”

Asda said the products had the “same overall ingredients” but “gradings differ”. Morrisons said: “Savers butter is sourced from inside and outside the UK. Standard butter will always be British.”