Creamola Foam
Encyclopedia
Creamola Foam was a soft drink produced in the form of soluble crystals. It was manufactured in Glasgow
and sold mainly in Scotland
from the 1950s until Nestlé
ended production in October 1998.
In 2010, a company from Dumbarton started producing a re-creation of Creamola Foam under the name Kramola Fizz.
An alternative product called 'Krakatoa' is now being manufactured by Ally Bally Bees Ltd, based in Fife and is now exported to Europe and the USA. The Creamola Foam Appreciation Society have named it 'The closest to the real thing'. In seven blind tasting across Central Scotland it came out on top
The drink originally came in raspberry, orange, and lemon flavours; cola was a later addition to the range.
The product was originally owned by Rowntrees before coming under the banner of Nestle UK until being sold off to Premier Foods
.
The name is often misspelled as Cremola foam.
The packaging included the phrases:
The original ingredient list read:
To this effect several online petitions argue for the resumption of the brand. Additionally some internet sites such as 'retrosweets.co.uk' collect details of the drink (such as ingredient lists) in the hope that it might be resurrected in some form in the future.
The motion was supported by: Alasdair Allan, Jackie Baillie, Cathy Peattie, Bill Wilson, Jim Hume, Anne McLaughlin, Jackson Carlaw, Sandra White, Bill Kidd, Patrick Harvie, Aileen Campbell, Brian Adam, Bob Doris, Christine Grahame, Iain Smith, Gil Paterson, Linda Fabiani, Maureen Watt, Dave Thompson
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and sold mainly in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
from the 1950s until Nestlé
Nestlé
Nestlé S.A. is the world's largest food and nutrition company. Founded and headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlé originated in a 1905 merger of the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company, established in 1867 by brothers George Page and Charles Page, and Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé, founded in 1866 by Henri...
ended production in October 1998.
In 2010, a company from Dumbarton started producing a re-creation of Creamola Foam under the name Kramola Fizz.
An alternative product called 'Krakatoa' is now being manufactured by Ally Bally Bees Ltd, based in Fife and is now exported to Europe and the USA. The Creamola Foam Appreciation Society have named it 'The closest to the real thing'. In seven blind tasting across Central Scotland it came out on top
Details
Creamola foam came in the form of colourful crystals which were dissolved in cold water to form a sweet, effervescent drink. It was packaged in a small tin labelled with a cartoon girl and boy drinking with straws.The drink originally came in raspberry, orange, and lemon flavours; cola was a later addition to the range.
The product was originally owned by Rowntrees before coming under the banner of Nestle UK until being sold off to Premier Foods
Premier Foods
Premier Foods plc is a British food manufacturer headquartered in St Albans, Hertfordshire. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
.
The name is often misspelled as Cremola foam.
Early form
The original packaging consisted of a small tin with a tight metal lid, normally pried off with a teaspoon. A paper seal covered the foam crystals.The packaging included the phrases:
- "CREAMOLA FOAM CRYSTALS"
- "MAKES 10 BIG DRINKS"
- "FULLY SWEETENED"
The original ingredient list read:
- sugarSugarSugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
- fruit acids
- sodium bicarbonateSodium bicarbonateSodium bicarbonate or sodium hydrogen carbonate is the chemical compound with the formula Na HCO3. Sodium bicarbonate is a white solid that is crystalline but often appears as a fine powder. It has a slightly salty, alkaline taste resembling that of washing soda . The natural mineral form is...
- gum acacia
- saccharinSaccharinSaccharin is an artificial sweetener. The basic substance, benzoic sulfilimine, has effectively no food energy and is much sweeter than sucrose, but has a bitter or metallic aftertaste, especially at high concentrations...
- saponinSaponinSaponins are a class of chemical compounds, one of many secondary metabolites found in natural sources, with saponins found in particular abundance in various plant species...
- flavouring
- colour
Later revision
The revision introduced in the 80s featured a plastic lid and modernised branding. The label reads, "Creamola FOAM". The ingredients were:- sugarSugarSugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
- citric acidCitric acidCitric acid is a weak organic acid. It is a natural preservative/conservative and is also used to add an acidic, or sour, taste to foods and soft drinks...
- sodium bicarbonateSodium bicarbonateSodium bicarbonate or sodium hydrogen carbonate is the chemical compound with the formula Na HCO3. Sodium bicarbonate is a white solid that is crystalline but often appears as a fine powder. It has a slightly salty, alkaline taste resembling that of washing soda . The natural mineral form is...
- tartaric acidTartaric acidTartaric acid is a white crystalline diprotic organic acid. It occurs naturally in many plants, particularly grapes, bananas, and tamarinds; is commonly combined with baking soda to function as a leavening agent in recipes, and is one of the main acids found in wine. It is added to other foods to...
- Flavouring
- saccharinSaccharinSaccharin is an artificial sweetener. The basic substance, benzoic sulfilimine, has effectively no food energy and is much sweeter than sucrose, but has a bitter or metallic aftertaste, especially at high concentrations...
- saccharin
- Stabilisers
- gum acaciaAcaciaAcacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
- extract of quillaiaQuillaiaQuillaia is the milled inner bark or small stems and branches of the soapbark . Other names include China bark extract, Murillo bark extract, Panama bark extract, Quillai extract, Quillaia extract, Quillay bark extract, and Soapbark extract...
- gum acacia
- Colour
- carmineCarmineCarmine , also called Crimson Lake, Cochineal, Natural Red #4, C.I. 75470, or E120, is a pigment of a bright-red color obtained from the aluminum salt of carminic acid, which is produced by some scale insects, such as the cochineal beetle and the Polish cochineal, and is used as a general term for...
(in this example, raspberry flavour)
- carmine
Demand from the public
A large number of Scottish and Irish people born in the 70s, 80s, and early 90s retain an affection and nostalgia for Creamola Foam, as a drink they enjoyed as children and cannot obtain today.To this effect several online petitions argue for the resumption of the brand. Additionally some internet sites such as 'retrosweets.co.uk' collect details of the drink (such as ingredient lists) in the hope that it might be resurrected in some form in the future.
Scottish Parliament motion and amendment bulletin from 18th Jan 2010
S3M-5454 "That the Parliament welcomes news of the launch of Creamola Fizz, the reincarnation of an old favourite fizzy soluble drink, known as Creamola Foam Crystals, that used to be a big treat for young and old alike; recalls that it was withdrawn by Nestlé in 1998; welcomes its imminent return under local Scottish ownership, and wishes the new producer, Alan McCandlish of Cardross, every success with the expected relaunch early this year to delight a whole new generation of Creamola Fizz lovers."The motion was supported by: Alasdair Allan, Jackie Baillie, Cathy Peattie, Bill Wilson, Jim Hume, Anne McLaughlin, Jackson Carlaw, Sandra White, Bill Kidd, Patrick Harvie, Aileen Campbell, Brian Adam, Bob Doris, Christine Grahame, Iain Smith, Gil Paterson, Linda Fabiani, Maureen Watt, Dave Thompson
External links
- Ally Bally Bees site http://www.allyballybees.co.uk Ally Bally Bees Ltd
- a fan site http://www.cremolafoam.co.uk describes a manufacturer in Germany that makes a similar alternative called Brause Pulver
- picture of two creamola foam promotional badges