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 A visit to the supermarket is becoming almost as painful as a trip to the gas pump. Anyone who does the family grocery shopping knows that food prices are soaring at a rate that hasn't been seen in decades.For the first three months of 2008, grocery store food prices rose at a 5.9 percent seasonally adjusted rate, after a 4.9 percent increase in all of 2007, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some products are rising faster than others, with cereal and bakery items climbing 15.7 percent, while dairy is up less than 1 percent.With food inflation and an out-of-whack economy, eschewing pricey name-brand groceries in favor of lower-cost store brands is making more and more sense. But how do the generics stack up flavor-wise against their name-brand counterparts?The Food section staff went shopping at the Southern California Supermarket Triumvirate (Vons, Ralphs and Albertsons). We chose seven name-brand staple items – mayonnaise, chicken noodle soup, yogurt, tomato sauce, jelly, juice and cereal – and compared their taste, texture and appearance to similar store-brand products.The conclusions raised a couple of eyebrows. No one among the five tasters, who sampled the products without knowing which was which, was shocked to learn that the store-brand goods were dramatically cheaper than the name-brands – up to $2.50 less expensive in one case.Nor was anyone surprised that two favorite name brands – Best Foods mayonnaise and Campbell's Chunky Classic Chicken Noodle soup – were far superior to their store-brand counterparts. Despite the higher price tag these products carry, fans weren't willing to switch camps to the cheaper knockoffs.However, the taste test did create converts to the store brands of some products, such as apple juice, tomato sauce and yogurt. See how things shook out.Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats Bite Size ($4.69 for an 18-ounce box) had a barely perceptible edge in the crunch factor over the generics, but tasters overall were perfectly content munching on the lower-priced squares, with only one taster saying the Albertsons version was “way too sweet.” Vons' price point was the cheapest of the group, at $3.49 for the same-sized box.MAYONNAISEConclusion: Continue to bring out the bestThe poseurs stood out a mile for what they were – congealed, off-colored, jiggly blobs with a “strange” taste. Even though Best Foods Real Mayonnaise ($3.42 for a 16-ounce jar) was $1.43 more than the cheapest generic, no taster was willing to sacrifice BF's creamy texture and bright, vinegary bite by settling for anything less.SOUPConclusion: Use your noodle and pay full freightHere is another product where loyalists instinctively knew in the blind taste test which was the soup of their childhood. All agreed they would rather pay for the pricey potage than switch to a lesser slurper. Campbell's Chunky Classic Chicken Noodle ($3.29 for a 15.25-ounce can) was praised for its “wholesome taste” and “nice chicken chunks,” whereas the generics (same sized cans ranging from $2.19 to $2.69) elicited such remarks as “no meat and a bit too salty,” “mealy chicken” and “mushy veggies.”STRAWBERRY PRESERVESConclusion: Store brands have got you coveredSave yourself some serious cash and stop buying the pricey spread. Tasters were hard-pressed to define any outstanding differences in fruity flavor or texture between Knott's Berry Farms Pure Preserves Strawberry (at $4.49 for a 16-ounce jar) and any of the store brands, ranging from $2.99 to $3.59.TOMATO SAUCEConclusion: Take stock in store sauceAh, tomato sauce. The humble building block of so many dishes. The name brand we selected for the test, Contadina (69 cents for an 8-ounce can), was harsh on the back of the throat and a little more soupy than saucy. Ralphs and Albertsons sauces fared better in taste and thickness – although Ralphs was noticeably saltier than all the others – but it was the Vons/Safeway brand (at a wallet-gratifying 30 cents for an 8-ounce can) that was the clear victor. Its true tomato taste really shined through, and it was substantially thicker than Contadina.YOGURTConclusion: Yo! Opt for the genericsRun, don't walk, to your nearest store brand. Dannon Light & Fit Nonfat Raspberry Yogurt (99 cents for a 6-ounce cup) went down heavy and hard, evoking such comments as “too thin and saucy,” “has a chemical taste,” “watery,” “bright purple color,” “no evidence of fruit” and “chalky.” The Ralphs version (at 79 cents for an 8-ounce cup) was pronounced “best of the bunch” with a “balanced sweet-tart flavor” and “evidence of real fruit.”