 Ovaltine jar and cup, both in the distinctive orange colour | |
| Manufacturer | Associated British Foods or licensees (Nestlé in the United States) |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | Switzerland |
| Introduced | 1904; 121 years ago (1904) |
| Variants | Chocolate Malt, Malt, Rich Chocolate |
| Related products | |
| Website | Official website (in German, French, and Italian) |
Ovaltine, also known by its original nameOvomaltine, is a brand ofmilk flavouring product made withmalt extract,sugar (except in Switzerland), andwhey. Some flavours also havecocoa. Ovaltine, a registeredtrademark ofAssociated British Foods, is made byWander AG, a subsidiary ofTwinings, which acquired the brand fromNovartis in 2002,[1] except in the United States, whereNestlé acquired the rights separately fromNovartis in the late 2000s.
Ovaltine was developed in 1904 by chemistAlbert Wander [de] (1867–1950),[2] inBern, Switzerland, where it is also known by its original name,Ovomaltine (fromovum, Latin for "egg", andmalt, which were originally its key ingredients). In 1927, the factory moved out to the village ofNeuenegg, a short distance west of Bern, where it is still produced.[3]
Ovomaltine was exported toBritain asOvaltine in 1909. A factory was built inKings Langley, which took it to the United States as well. By 1915, Ovaltine was being manufactured inVilla Park, Illinois, for the US market. Ovaltine was later manufactured inPeterborough, Ontario, for distribution in Canada. Gerald Ethelbert Goldsmith was the president of the Ovaltine Foods at this time.[4][5] In 1943, Ovaltine opened its second-largest factory inDevonport, Tasmania, to facilitate the demands of theAustralasian andSoutheast Asian markets.[6][7]
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Originally advertised as consisting solely of "malt, milk, eggs, flavoured with cocoa", the formulation has changed over the decades and changed for different parts of the world. In the UK, it no longer contains eggs.[8]
A chocolate malt version is sold as a powder which is mixed with hot or coldmilk as a beverage.Malt Ovaltine (a version without cocoa) andRich Chocolate Ovaltine (a version without malt) are also available in some markets. Ovaltine also expanded by offeringchocolate bars, chocolate Easter eggs, parfait, cookies, and breakfast cereals flavored with the original powder.[9]
Ovaltine also manufactured PDQ Chocolate Flavour Beads, PDQ Choco Chips, Eggnog Flavoured PDQ, and Strawberry PDQ which are no longer available. Thesedrink mixes enjoyed their greatest popularity from the 1960s to the 1980s.[10][11]
Villa Park, Illinois, was home to the Ovaltine factory in the United States from 1917 until the company's purchase and withdrawal in 1988. The Villa Park Historical Society maintains a permanent exhibit of Ovaltine advertising and memorabilia. The old factory was converted to loft apartments keeping the original floors and wall exposed, and is known today as Ovaltine Court.[12]
In 1992, Himmel Group obtained the right to make and sell Ovaltine in the US from Sandoz Nutrition Corporation. In 2002, Himmel sold their rights to Novartis. As of 2007, Nestlé had acquired Novartis' medical nutrition division and has the rights to Ovaltine.[13][14]
Ovaltine was very popular in Britain, and was manufactured at Kings Langley in Hertfordshire using a process that included GEA Wiegand falling film evaporators to concentrate liquid malt extract, which was then dried under vacuum in steam heated band dryers. Theart deco style Ovaltine factory in Kings Langley is a well-known local landmark. Production ceased in 2002 and the factory has now been redeveloped as luxury flats. Near the factory was a health farm run by the Ovaltine works, which was set up as a model farm and a health resort for disadvantaged children, which operated until the 1960s. Later, the farm land was sold and is now largely occupied by theM25 motorway. The Ovaltine Egg Farm is now the site ofRenewable Energy Systems Ltd.[15]
Due to its high-caloric and sugar content, Ovaltine has been a popular drink for climbers since the early days of mountaineering, including being carried in large quantities in 1902 during the unsuccessful first attempt to summitK2, the world's second-tallest mountain, and the first successful summitting ofMount Everest in 1953.[16][17][18]
In October 2002, the food and drinks division of Novartis, the maker of Ovaltine, was bought by Associated British Foods.[19] ABF currently produces Ovaltine in Switzerland, China, Thailand and Australia. In Canada, Ovaltine is produced by Grace Foods in biscuit and powdered drink forms. In the United States Nestlé manufactures Ovaltine.[20]
InHong Kong, Ovaltine, likeHorlicks, is known as a café drink. It is served atcha chaan tengs as well as fast-food shops such asCafé de Coral andMaxim's Express. It is served hot, or on ice as a cold drink. In Brazil, it is commonly mixed with vanilla ice cream. In the Asian market, it is a chocolate ice cream flavoured with Ovaltine powder. TheMcCafé in Hong Kong provides "Ovaltine Crunchy Latte" and other drinks and desserts.[21]
InMalaysia, Ovaltine has lost its popularity toMilo. Ovaltine is sold inTetra Pak cartons for cold serving and is widely available in shops and supermarkets, yet it has a low profile compared to similar beverages in the market. In Japan, Ovaltine was sold for a short period in the late 1970s byCalpis Industries (presently Calpis Co., Ltd.), but it was not a commercial success. In Australia,Ovalteenies are sold as round tablets of compressed Ovaltine, eaten ascandy.[22]
Brazilian fast-food chainBob's, the largest competitor toMcDonald's in that country, offered, since 1959,milkshakes andsundaes made with Ovaltine, where it goes by the name of "Ovomaltine", which became a flagship product of the fast-food chain in Brazil. In 2016, McDonald's acquired exclusive rights to sell "Ovomaltine"-branded milkshakes. Brazil has the second largest Ovaltine factory, inSão Paulo, and is the second largest consumer market for the product, afterThailand. The Brazilian Ovaltine differs from other varieties, originating from an assembly line malfunction that made the powdercrispier that is still maintained today.[23]
In 2011, Ovaltine was banned in Denmark under legislation forbidding the sale of food products with added vitamins unless claims about their effectiveness are proven.[24]
The US children's radio seriesLittle Orphan Annie (1931–1940) andCaptain Midnight (1938–1949), and the subsequentCaptain Midnight TV series (1954–1956) were sponsored by Ovaltine. They had promotions in which listeners could saveproofs-of-purchase from Ovaltine jars to obtainradio premiums, such as "secret decoder ring" badges, or pins that could be used to decode messages in the program.[25]
Another radio program aimed at five- to fourteen-year-olds,The League ofOvaltineys, was broadcast to Great Britain byRadio Luxembourg on Sunday evenings at 5:30 PM. Beginning in February 1935, it was broadcast until September 1939, when the outbreak ofWorld War II forced closure of the station, and again after the war from 1952. As with the US program, listeners could obtain badges, pins, and secret codes. The Ovaltineys'advertising jingle, which featured the popular English singing trioThe Beverley Sisters, was regarded as one of the most successful jingles of the era.[26]
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