 | |
| Product type | Roasted grain beverage |
|---|---|
| Owner | Post Holdings |
| Country | U.S. |
| Introduced | 1895; 131 years ago (1895)[1] |
| Website | postum.com |
Postum (US:/ˈpoʊstəm/) is a powderedroasted grain beverage popular as acoffee substitute. Thecaffeine-free beverage was created byPost Cereal Company founderC. W. Post in 1895 and marketed as a healthier alternative tocoffee.[2]: 93 Post was a student ofJohn Harvey Kellogg, who believed that caffeine was unhealthy. Post Cereal Company eventually becameGeneral Foods, and merged intoKraft Foods Inc. in 1990. Eliza's Quest Foods assumed the trademark rights and secret recipe of Postum in 2012.
The "instant" drink mix version was developed in 1912, replacing the original brewed beverage.[3] Postum is made from roastedwheat bran andmolasses. In addition to the original flavor, coffee-flavored and cocoa-flavored versions have been introduced.
When tested by the FDA, Postum had moreacrylamide than any other product, by dry weight.[4][5]
Lost Eyesight through Coffee Drinking
Postum quickly became popular, making Post wealthy. The aggressive advertising, with the slogan "There's a Reason", warned against the alleged dangers of coffee and caffeine, and promoted the benefits of Postum. When imitations appeared, the company introduced a cheaper drink called Monk's Brew that was identical to Postum, but discontinued it after competitors left the market. Instant Postum appeared in 1911.[2]: 93–98 A 1912 advertisement for Instant Postum is the earliest known use of the word "instant" to refer to a processed food that can be prepared immediately.[6]
Although the Post Cereal Company explicitly stated in its advertising that Postum did not taste like coffee and was not a coffee substitute,[7] the drink enjoyed an enormous rise in sales and popularity in the United States duringWorld War II when coffee wasrationed and people sought a replacement.[2]: 223
Postum was sometimes marketed by a cartoonghost named Mr. Coffee-Nerves,[8] who would appear in situations wherein people were shown in uncomfortable life situations (e.g.,irritability,lack of sleep,lack of athletic prowess) due to their use of coffee and its negative effects. These cartoons always ended with the afflicted people switching to Postum and Mr. Coffee-Nerves fleeing until the next cartoon.[9] The company sponsored the radio showsLum and Abner,Beulah andThe Aldrich Family, and the radio version ofFather Knows Best.
Postum was popular with members ofthe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and part ofMormon culture for many years because Mormons abstain from coffee.[10][11] It was also popular with those following religious dietary restrictions ofSeventh-day Adventists.[12]
The US government used Postum as a code name forpolonium,[13] used in theUrchin-style nuclear weapon initiators.
Kraft discontinued production of Postum in 2007.[10][11][12][14] In May 2012, Kraft sold the Postum trademark and trade secret to Eliza's Quest Food, with Postum sold through Postum.com.[15] As of January 2013, Eliza's Quest Food succeeded in returning Postum to many grocery stores across the United States and Canada.[16]
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In "All by Herself", episode 14, season 5 ofThe Facts of Life, Mrs. Garrett offers the girls a nice, piping hot cup of Postum.
In "The Pez Dispenser", episode 14, season 3 ofSeinfeld, George and Jerry briefly discuss how Postum is underrated as a drink.
In “Homer the Smithers”, episode 17, season 7 ofThe Simpsons, Homer becomes Mr. Burns’ assistant. In a montage of Homer’s ineptitude on the job, Mr. Burns throws a drink in Homer’s face, shouting: “You call this Postum?!”
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| Weetabix Ltd. | ||
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