Submitted by johrnjohrn t3_117rodf in explainlikeimfive
Do they have food scientists just guessing and checking with taste testers? Or do they know the exact recipe somehow and just tweak it to avoid lawsuits? Or do big box stores require name brands to hand over their recipes as part of a contract to shelf their brand along with their own store brand? Do the name brands try to keep it a secret but they keep getting bested? I have no idea how this works.
Edit: So, many awesome responses here. Most folks are saying that the store brands are made by the name brand and labeled differently. Does that mean that all the different store brands from different stores are actually the exact same as one another?