Milo ( ; stylised as MILO) is a chocolate-flavoured
malted powder product produced by
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. (; ; ) is a Swiss multinational food and drink processing conglomerate corporation headquartered in Vevey, Vaud, Switzerland. It is the largest publicly held food company in the world, measured by revenue and other metrics, since ...
, typically mixed with
milk
Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modula ...
, hot water, or both, to produce a
beverage
A drink or beverage is a liquid intended for human consumption. In addition to their basic function of satisfying thirst, drinks play important roles in human culture. Common types of drinks include plain drinking water, milk, juice, smoo ...
. It was originally developed in Australia by
Thomas Mayne (1901–1995) in 1934.
Most commonly sold as a powder in a green can, often depicting various sporting activities, Milo is available as a premixed beverage in some countries and has been subsequently developed into a
snack bar
A snack bar usually refers to an inexpensive food counter that is part of a permanent structure where snack foods and light meals are sold.
Description
A beach snack bar is often a small building situated high on the sand. Besides soft dri ...
,
breakfast cereal and protein
granola
Granola is a breakfast and snack food consisting of rolled oats, nuts, honey or other sweeteners such as brown sugar, and sometimes puffed rice, that is usually baked until crisp, toasted and golden brown. The mixture is stirred while baking ...
. Its composition and taste differ from country to country.
Milo maintains significant popularity in a diverse range of countries throughout the world, particularly in
Australasia
Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologi ...
, Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
History
![1940s Nestlé Milo tin](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b9/1940s_Nestl%C3%A9_Milo_tin.jpg)
In 1934, Australian
industrial chemist
The chemical industry comprises the companies that produce industrial chemicals. Central to the modern world economy, it converts raw materials (oil, natural gas, air, water, metals, and minerals) into more than 70,000 different products. The ...
and inventor Thomas Mayne, who was working at Nestlé, developed "Milo" and launched it at the
Sydney Royal Easter Show. Mayne came up with his formula for Milo combining
malt extract (made from malted barley), full cream
milk powder
Powdered milk, also called milk powder, dried milk, or dry milk, is a manufactured dairy product made by evaporating milk to dryness. One purpose of drying milk is to preserve it; milk powder has a far longer shelf life than liquid milk and do ...
,
cocoa, sugar, mineral salts, iron and
vitamin
A vitamin is an organic molecule (or a set of molecules closely related chemically, i.e. vitamers) that is an essential micronutrient that an organism needs in small quantities for the proper functioning of its metabolism. Essential nutrie ...
s A, D and B1, in an attempt "to develop a completely balanced food drink which contained all the necessary
protein
Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, res ...
s and
minerals
In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid chemical compound with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed ...
". It was intended to help children to obtain enough
nutrients in their diet.
Nestlé, which had taken ownership of a milk-processing plant in
Smithtown,
New South Wales
)
, nickname =
, image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg
, map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates:
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = Australia
, established_title = Before federation
, es ...
, in 1921, started producing the product not long after the show.
[ The name was derived from the famous ancient athlete ]Milo of Croton
Milo or Milon of Croton (late 6th century BC) was a famous ancient Greek athlete.
He was most likely a historical person, as he is mentioned by many classical authors, among them Aristotle, Pausanias, Cicero, Herodotus, Vitruvius, Epictetus, an ...
, after his legendary strength.[All about Milo](_blank)
The product was even noted as "tonic food".
Manufacture
Milo is manufactured by evaporating the water content from a thick syrup at reduced pressure, using a vacuum dryer to reduce the mix to granular form. The thick opaque syrup is obtained from malted wheat
Wheat is a grass widely cultivated for its seed, a cereal grain that is a worldwide staple food. The many species of wheat together make up the genus ''Triticum'' ; the most widely grown is common wheat (''T. aestivum''). The archaeologi ...
or barley
Barley (''Hordeum vulgare''), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia as early as 10,000 years ago. Globally 70% of barley p ...
sourced from companies that produce these raw products.
Milo's composition and taste differ in some countries due to logistics limitations and personal preferences among different regions.
, the Smithtown factory, which produces the product for Australia and New Zealand, produces more than 13,000 tonnes of Milo a year. Nestlé Singapore states that Milo is produced locally at its factory in Jurong
Jurong () is a major geographical region located at the south-westernmost point of the West Region of Singapore. Although mostly vaguely defined, the region's extent roughly covers the planning areas of Jurong East, Jurong West, Boon Lay, ...
. Milo in Japan is manufactured using ingredients imported from Singapore.
Nutritional information
The recipe for the standard product has remained almost exactly the same since its creation in 1934, the only variation being in the added minerals
In geology and mineralogy, a mineral or mineral species is, broadly speaking, a solid chemical compound with a fairly well-defined chemical composition and a specific crystal structure that occurs naturally in pure form.John P. Rafferty, ed ...
and vitamins.
Standard Milo consists of four main ingredients: malted barley, milk powder, sugar and cocoa. It contains 1,680 kJ (402 kilocalories) in every 100 g of the powder, mostly from carbohydrates. Carbohydrates can be used for energy
In physics, energy (from Ancient Greek: ἐνέργεια, ''enérgeia'', “activity”) is the quantitative property that is transferred to a body or to a physical system, recognizable in the performance of work and in the form of hea ...
by the body, which is the basis of Milo being marketed as an energy drink. Most of the carbohydrate content is sugar. The New Zealand version of Milo is 46 per cent sugar.
Milo dissolved in water has a glycemic index
The glycemic (glycaemic) index (GI; ) is a number from 0 to 100 assigned to a food, with pure glucose arbitrarily given the value of 100, which represents the relative rise in the blood glucose level two hours after consuming that food. The GI of ...
(GI) of 55. However, milk has a much lower GI of 30 to 33, so mixing Milo into a mug of milk yields an overall GI closer to 33.
Milo is high in calcium
Calcium is a chemical element with the symbol Ca and atomic number 20. As an alkaline earth metal, calcium is a reactive metal that forms a dark oxide-nitride layer when exposed to air. Its physical and chemical properties are most similar t ...
, iron and the vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12. Milo is advertised as containing "Actigen-E" which is Nestlé's trademarked name for the vitamins in the Milo recipe. It also contains some theobromine
Theobromine, also known as xantheose, is the principal alkaloid of '' Theobroma cacao'' (cacao plant). Theobromine is slightly water-soluble (330 mg/L) with a bitter taste. In industry, theobromine is used as an additive and precursor to ...
, a xanthine
Xanthine ( or ; archaically xanthic acid; systematic name 3,7-dihydropurine-2,6-dione) is a purine base found in most human body tissues and fluids, as well as in other organisms. Several stimulants are derived from xanthine, including caffeine ...
alkaloid similar to caffeine
Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant of the methylxanthine class. It is mainly used recreationally as a cognitive enhancer, increasing alertness and attentional performance. Caffeine acts by blocking binding of adenosine to ...
, which is present in the cocoa used in the product.
In Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of mainlan ...
, a nutrition research society based in Malaysia set up in 2014 suggested that Milo and similar products made children who consumed them "more likely to be physically active and spend less time in front of a computer or television". A 2017 ''New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' article found that Nestlé had been financing the society and vetting the articles before publication, leading to questions of scientific impartiality. The high concentration of sugar, and the presence of maltodextrin
Maltodextrin is a polysaccharide that is used as a food ingredient. It is produced from vegetable starch by partial hydrolysis and is usually found as a white hygroscopic spray-dried powder. Maltodextrin is easily digestible, being absorbed as ...
, also raised whether the product should be marketed as a health product.
Versions
Since 2017, Nestle Philippines has produced Milo using its "protomalt" formulation. The protomalt is composed of carbohydrates derived from barley and cassava
''Manihot esculenta'', commonly called cassava (), manioc, or yuca (among numerous regional names), is a woody shrub of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, native to South America. Although a perennial plant, cassava is extensively cultivated ...
.
In Australia, a version of Milo called Milo B-Smart was released in 2008, which had a finer texture, added B vitamins and iodine, and a different taste from the original Milo formula, and was marketed as a health food for children. However, , this product is no longer available. A higher malt content form also existed in Australia and was marketed in a brown-coloured can, which was usually only available in the 375 g size. As of May 2015, this form is no longer manufactured.
, three other varieties are manufactured at the Australian plant: high protein, reduced sugar and a plant-based version.
As of 2021, Nestlé has launched dairy-free plant-based versions of Milo and other drinks under the brand. The new version of these drinks contain almond and soy milk, the two core ingredients cocoa and malt remain the same.
Consumption
Milo is typically mixed with milk, hot water, or both, to produce a beverage
A drink or beverage is a liquid intended for human consumption. In addition to their basic function of satisfying thirst, drinks play important roles in human culture. Common types of drinks include plain drinking water, milk, juice, smoo ...
.
Australia and New Zealand
Traditionally in Australia and New Zealand, Milo is served mixed with either hot or cold milk, or sprinkled on top.
Asia
Milo manufactured outside Australia is customised for local methods of preparation. In Malaysia, as well as Brunei and some other parts of Asia, Milo with ice added is known as "Iced Milo" or "Milo Ais" in Malay Language (alternatively, "bing" or "peng", meaning ice in Cantonese
Cantonese ( zh, t=廣東話, s=广东话, first=t, cy=Gwóngdūng wá) is a language within the Chinese (Sinitic) branch of the Sino-Tibetan languages originating from the city of Guangzhou (historically known as Canton) and its surrounding ar ...
and Hokkien
The Hokkien () variety of Chinese is a Southern Min language native to and originating from the Minnan region, where it is widely spoken in the south-eastern part of Fujian in southeastern mainland China. It is one of the national languages ...
respectively). Iced Milo is even available at fast food restaurants such as KFC and McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hambur ...
.
Milo is also served locally in kopitiam
A ''kopitiam'' or ''kopi tiam'' () is a type of coffee shop mostly found in parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Southern Thailand patronised for meals and beverages, and traditionally operated by the Chinese community of t ...
s and mamak stall
Mamak stalls are indoor and open-air food establishments particularly found in Southeast Asia, especially in the countries of Malaysia and Singapore, which serve a type of Indian Muslim cuisine unique to the region by its Indian community.
Hi ...
s in versions such as " Milo Dinosaur" (a cup of Milo with an extra spoonful of undissolved Milo powder added on top of it), "Milo Godzilla
is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', originating from a series of Japanese films. The character first appeared in the 1954 film '' Godzilla'' and became a worldwide pop culture icon, appearing in various media, including 32 films prod ...
" (a cup of Milo with ice cream and/or topped with whipped cream) "Neslo" (combined with Nescafé
Nescafé is a brand of coffee made by Nestlé. It comes in many different forms. The name is a portmanteau of the words "Nestlé" and "café". Nestlé first introduced their flagship coffee brand in Switzerland on 1 April 1938.
History
Nestl ...
powdered coffee) and "Milo Mangkuk" (Iced Milo that is served with shaved ice inside a plastic bowl). The Milo powder is also usually used in the making of Batik cake. In Hong Kong, Milo is served in Cha chaan teng
''Cha chaan teng'' (; "tea restaurant"), often called a Hong Kong-style cafe or diner in English, is a type of restaurant that originated in Hong Kong. Cha chaan teng are commonly found in Hong Kong, Macau, and parts of Guangdong. Due to the ...
.
In Malaysia, Milo is also sometimes sprinkled on ice cream or breakfast cereals, or mixed with milk into a paste and spread on bread. Milo can be used as an ingredient in roti canai
Roti canai (pronunciation: /tʃanaɪ/) or roti prata, also known as roti chenai and roti cane (/tʃane/), is an Indian flatbread dish found in several countries in Southeast Asia, especially in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thai ...
, where it is usually called "roti Milo".
At the present time, Malaysia has the world's highest per capita consumption of Milo, Singapore coming second.
Marketing
Apart from Australia, Milo is popular in many countries and regions including New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
, Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
, Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
, Brunei
Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely surrounded by t ...
, Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
, Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
, Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
, India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delta i ...
, Sri Lanka, Maldives
Maldives (, ; dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ, translit=Dhivehi Raajje, ), officially the Republic of Maldives ( dv, ދިވެހިރާއްޖޭގެ ޖުމްހޫރިއްޔާ, translit=Dhivehi Raajjeyge Jumhooriyyaa, label=none, ), is an archipelag ...
, Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
, Japan, Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
, Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
, Colombia, and countries in Southern Africa
Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the African continent, south of the Congo and Tanzania. The physical location is the large part of Africa to the south of the extensive Congo River basin. Southern Africa is home to a number o ...
, Central Africa
Central Africa is a subregion of the African continent comprising various countries according to different definitions. Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo ...
, East Africa, West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, M ...
. In Australia and most other countries, the packaging is a green can and depicts people playing various sports.
In Australia, the MILO in2CRICKET and MILO T20 Blast programs, operated in most areas by volunteers, teach children age 5–12 how to play the game of cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by str ...
. In the 2016–2017 season, over 78,000 children participated in the programs.
Milo is very popular in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, where the brand name is synonymous with chocolate flavoured drinks: Milo has a 90% market share in Malaysia, and Malaysians
Malaysians are nationals and citizens who are identified with the country of Malaysia. Although citizens make up the majority of Malaysians, non-citizen residents and overseas Malaysians may also claim a Malaysian identity.
The country is h ...
were said to be the world's largest consumers of Milo.
In Peru, during the 1970s military dictatorship, Milo labels displayed Peruvian motifs, such as photos and pictures of Peruvian towns, history, crops, fruits, animals, plants, as an educational aid. After 1980, when the military left power, sports predominated on the labels.
Milo is sold by Nestlé in Canada at all major food retailers. Although Milo has been available since the 1970s, a Canadian-specific flavour launched within the last decade that dissolves more quickly but maintains the sweet malt flavour profile. It competes with the British brand Ovaltine
Ovaltine (also known by its original name Ovomaltine) is a brand of milk flavoring product made with malt extract (except in the blue packaging in the United States), sugar (except in Switzerland), and whey. Some flavors also have cocoa. Ovalt ...
.
Aside from the International section of specific grocery stores and certain Asian grocery stores, Nestlé does not market Milo in the United States. In 2017 Colombian-manufactured Milo started appearing on shelves in supermarkets in the United States such as Walmart
Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores from the United States, headquarter ...
.
It can also be found in the United Kingdom in some Sainsbury's
J Sainsbury plc, trading as Sainsbury's, is the second largest chain of supermarkets in the United Kingdom, with a 14.6% share of UK supermarket sales.
Founded in 1869 by John James Sainsbury with a shop in Drury Lane, London, the company ...
and Tesco
Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Welwyn Garden City, England. In 2011 it was the third-largest retailer in the world measured by gross revenues and the ninth-largest in th ...
supermarkets, which import it from Kenya and South Africa. Asian food specialists also stock it. Ovaltine is more popular with UK consumers.
In Ireland, it can be found in many Asian or African stores. Typically they will stock Kenyan or Filipino Milo.
In China, it is commonly sold in Western supermarkets, but also smaller convenience stores. Usually packaged in a 240gram flexible foil pouch, single-drink packets can also be purchased. The Milo itself contains more milk solids than the Australian Milo.
In the past, it was available in Portugal and Brazil. Nestlé Brazil discontinued production of Milo in Brazil, to focus on the much-popular domestic brands Nescau and Nesquik. The Chilean version of Milo is still in production and is identical in taste and texture to the one that was once produced in Brazil.
In May 2013, more than 20 years out of the Portuguese market, Nestlé reintroduced the brand, aiming at the high-end market.
In the Philippines, Nestlé partnered with the Department of Education
An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...
in 2017, in a marketing response to the "energy gap" within school-aged children whose athletic and academic performance were impacted due to low energy. This raised the ethical question of advertising to children.
Derivative products
Milo was available as a snack in cube form in Nigeria, Ghana and Dubai in 1975.
The Milo chocolate bar was a brand of brownie, caramel, Milo and chocolate-covered candy bars, produced by Nestlé for sale in Australia and available in 2006. It included ingredients of Milo powder. It claimed to be the only milk chocolate with "choco malt" and "all natural ingredients including cocoa, milk and malt". The chocolate bar was discontinued in Australia in 2003, replaced with an "energy food bar", which is no longer available either. Two varieties of Milo snack bars can be bought in packs of six.
As of 2006, there was also Milo cereal (described as "cornflakes
Corn flakes, or cornflakes, are a breakfast cereal made from toasting flakes of corn (maize). The cereal, originally made with wheat, was created by Will Kellogg in 1894 for patients at the Battle Creek Sanitarium where he worked with his broth ...
with a Milo coating"), Milo smoothie
A smoothie is a beverage made by puréeing ingredients in a blender. A smoothie commonly has a liquid base, such as fruit juice or milk, yogurt, ice cream or cottage cheese. Other ingredients may be added, including fruits, vegetables, non-dai ...
s, Milo mousse, and Milo ice-cream (a vanilla ice-cream coated with hard Milo/chocolate shell).[
Milo nuggets have been available since 1994 in Southeast Asia and Colombia. Milo cereal balls and a range of other derivative products are marketed by ]Tesco
Tesco plc () is a British multinational groceries and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Welwyn Garden City, England. In 2011 it was the third-largest retailer in the world measured by gross revenues and the ninth-largest in th ...
in Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
.[Search results for "Milo"]
See also
* Akta-Vite
* Horlicks
Horlicks is a sweet malted milk hot drink powder developed by founders James and William Horlick. It was first sold as "Horlick's Infant and Invalids Food", soon adding "aged and travellers" to their label. In the early 20th century, it was s ...
* List of hot beverages
This list of hot drinks comprises drinks that are typically served hot. Drinks are liquids specifically prepared for human consumption.
__TOC__
Hot drinks
Indonesia
India
There are many hot beverages that originated from India that have gai ...
* Malted milk
Malted milk or malt powder is a powdered gruel made from a mixture of malted barley, wheat flour, and evaporated whole milk powder. The powder is used to add its distinctive flavor to beverages and other foods, but it is also used in bakin ...
* Milo dinosaur
* Ovaltine
Ovaltine (also known by its original name Ovomaltine) is a brand of milk flavoring product made with malt extract (except in the blue packaging in the United States), sugar (except in Switzerland), and whey. Some flavors also have cocoa. Ovalt ...
* Ovomaltine
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Milo (Drink)
Nestlé brands
Chocolate drinks
Non-alcoholic drinks
Drink brands
Australian brands
Malaysian cuisine
Australian snack foods
Hot drinks
1934 establishments in Australia
Dietary supplements
Energy drinks
Australian drinks
Products introduced in 1934
Malt-based drinks
Wheat-based drinks
Barley-based drinks
Instant foods and drinks
Powdered drink mixes
Singaporean drinks