Nestlé Milo
Encyclopedia
Chocolate
Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America. Its earliest documented use is around 1100 BC...
and malt
Malt
Malt is germinated cereal grains that have been dried in a process known as "malting". The grains are made to germinate by soaking in water, and are then halted from germinating further by drying with hot air...
powder which is mixed with hot or cold water and/or milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
to produce a beverage which is popular in many parts of the world. Produced by 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...
, Milo was originally developed by Thomas Mayne in Sydney, Australia in 1934. It is marketed and sold in many countries around the world.
Most commonly sold as a powder in a familiar green tin, often depicting various sporting activities, Milo is available as a premixed beverage in some countries, and has been subsequently developed into a snack bar and breakfast cereal. Its composition and taste differ in some countries.
History
In 1934, Australian industrial chemist and inventor Thomas Mayne developed Milo and launched it at the Sydney Royal Easter ShowSydney Royal Easter Show
The Sydney Royal Easter Show, also known as the Royal Easter Show or simply The Show, is an annual show held in Sydney, Australia over two weeks around Easter.It is run by the Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales and was first held in 1823...
. Milo began production at the plant located in Smithtown
Smithtown, New South Wales
Smithtown is a small town on the banks of the Macleay River in New South Wales, Australia. The town of Gladstone lies across on the southern side of the river. At the 2006 census, Smithtown had a population of 591 people....
, near Kempsey
Kempsey, New South Wales
Kempsey is a town in the Mid North Coast region of New South Wales, Australia and is the council seat for Kempsey Shire. It is located 15 kilometres inland from the coast of the Pacific Ocean where the Pacific Highway and the North Coast railway line cross the Macleay River...
on the North Coast of New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. The name was derived from the famous Greek
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
athlete Milo of Croton
Milo of Croton
Milo of Croton was a 6th century BC wrestler from the Magna Graecian city of Croton in southern Italy who enjoyed a brilliant wrestling career and won many victories in the most important athletic festivals of ancient Greece...
a, after his legendary strength.
Manufacture and marketing
Milo is manufactured by evaporating the water content from a thick syrup at reduced pressure. The thick opaque syrup is obtained from maltMalt
Malt is germinated cereal grains that have been dried in a process known as "malting". The grains are made to germinate by soaking in water, and are then halted from germinating further by drying with hot air...
ed wheat or barley and contains many mono-, di- and polysaccharides.
Condensed milk
Condensed milk
Condensed milk, also known as sweetened condensed milk, is cow's milk from which water has been removed and to which sugar has been added, yielding a very thick, sweet product which when canned can last for years without refrigeration if unopened. The two terms, condensed milk and sweetened...
and cocoa solids
Cocoa solids
Cocoa solids are the low-fat component of chocolate. When sold as an end product, it may also be called cocoa powder, cocoa, and cacao....
are added to give it a milk and chocolate content and it is often fortified with vitamins and minerals such as cyanocobalamin
Cyanocobalamin
Cyanocobalamin is an especially common vitamer of the vitamin B12 family. It is the most famous vitamer of the family, because it is, in chemical terms, the most air-stable...
. Before the evaporation process it looks somewhat like very thick, light coloured coffee.
This syrup is admitted to a large box constructed from thick steel plates and about 10 cubic meteres in volume. A number of conveyor belt
Conveyor belt
A conveyor belt consists of two or more pulleys, with a continuous loop of material - the conveyor belt - that rotates about them. One or both of the pulleys are powered, moving the belt and the material on the belt forward. The powered pulley is called the drive pulley while the unpowered pulley...
s are arranged inside the box and the syrup is drizzled onto the uppermost. The pressure inside the box is maintained just below the vapor pressure
Vapor pressure
Vapor pressure or equilibrium vapor pressure is the pressure of a vapor in thermodynamic equilibrium with its condensed phases in a closed system. All liquids have a tendency to evaporate, and some solids can sublimate into a gaseous form...
of water at a temperature of about 30 degrees celsius. Under these conditions of reduced pressure and slightly elevated temperature the syrup starts to boil. Eventually it reaches the end of the first conveyor whereupon it drizzles down to another, lower in the box. By the time it reaches the lower most conveyors it has become a soft vesicular solid somewhat like pumice
Pumice
Pumice is a textural term for a volcanic rock that is a solidified frothy lava typically created when super-heated, highly pressurized rock is violently ejected from a volcano. It can be formed when lava and water are mixed. This unusual formation is due to the simultaneous actions of rapid...
stone or violet crumble
Violet Crumble
Violet Crumble is an Australian chocolate bar manufactured in Campbellfield near Melbourne, Australia, by Nestlé. It is one of the best selling chocolate bars in Australia. Violet Crumble is also common in Hawaii and is available in other places, including Hong Kong.The bar is a crumbly sponge...
. The evaporation at reduced pressure allows the water content to be removed at lower temperature according to the Clausius–Clapeyron relation and prevents the malt sugars and milk proteins from being changed by the heat, effectively cooking them and changing the taste and texture of the product. The whole process takes around an hour but operates in a continuous mode. At the bottom of the box the varying sized chunks of soft solid, from fist size to fine powder, fall from the last conveyor into an airlock where they are brought back to atmospheric pressure. The solid is introduced into a hammer mill where it is broken up into the final granular form. The rather hydroscopic granular powder is promptly packaged into cans by filling them from the "bottom", because the "top" end has been previously fabricated with an aluminium foil seal beneath the lid. The cans then have the tinplate bottoms affixed by a roll seam and the paper label is applied to complete the product. The prompt packaging ensures the product remains fresh and dry. Some other chocolate drink bases, such as Ovaltine
Ovaltine
Ovaltine is a brand of milk flavoring product made with malt extract , sugar , cocoa, and whey...
, are made by a similar series of processes.
Milo contains some theobromine
Theobromine
Theobromine , also known as xantheose, is a bitter alkaloid of the cacao plant, with the chemical formula C7H8N4O2. It is found in chocolate, as well as in a number of other foods, including the leaves of the tea plant, and the kola nut...
, a xanthine alkaloid similar to caffeine
Caffeine
Caffeine is a bitter, white crystalline xanthine alkaloid that acts as a stimulant drug. Caffeine is found in varying quantities in the seeds, leaves, and fruit of some plants, where it acts as a natural pesticide that paralyzes and kills certain insects feeding on the plants...
which is present in the cocoa used in the product; thus, like chocolate, it can become mildly addictive if consumed in quantities of more than 15 heaped teaspoons per day.
If a tin of Milo is not closed properly it will absorb water from the air and become damp and develop a tendency to form clumps. In very humid environments it can revert to the original opaque brown syrup; however, when made up as a beverage from this state its taste will have altered to the point that it is generally not consumable. Should the product become damp for any extended period of time it should be discarded because of possible bacterial action on the milk and sugar content.
Use of very hot water when making a Milo drink can also alter the taste somewhat as will re-heating a made-up drink which has gone cold.
In Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and most other countries, the packaging is green and depicts people playing various sports on the tin. A higher malt content form also exists in Australia and is marketed in a burgundy coloured tin which is usually only available in the 375g size. An organisation called "Milo Cricket", which operates in most areas by volunteers, gives participating children small packets of Milo to eat or drink. The commercials and taglines are "Go and go and go with Milo". A recent Australian commercial incorporating this slogan depicts four generations of women on a skipping rope singing "and my mum gave me Milo to go and go and go." The tag "I need my Milo Today" is also used, because of the products low glycemic index
Glycemic index
The glycemic index, glycaemic index, or GI is a measure of the effects of carbohydrates on blood sugar levels. Carbohydrates that break down quickly during digestion and release glucose rapidly into the bloodstream have a high GI; carbohydrates that break down more slowly, releasing glucose more...
. The packaging of tins of Milo in Malaysia and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
are also green and also have people playing sports on the tins. In Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Milo is closely tied to football (soccer)
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, and the slogan several generations have sung is Milo te da energía, la meta la pones tú ("Milo gives you energy, you set the finish line").
Milo is very popular in Malaysia and Singapore, where the brand name is synonymous with chocolate flavored drinks: Milo has a 90% market share in Malaysia (not the often quoted 90% worldwide share of Milo consumption), and Malaysians were said to be the world’s largest consumers of Milo. This is because Milo was once used as a nutrient supplement when it was first introduced in the country, and has thus gained a reputation as a 'must have' drink for the old and the younger generations. Milo manufactured in Malaysia is made to dissolve well in hot water to produce a smooth hot chocolate drink, or with ice added for a cold drink. "Milo Vans" were often associated with primary school's sports day where pupils queued up to collect their cups of Milo drinks using coupons Milo served locally in kopitiams and mamak stall
Mamak stall
A mamak stall, is a food establishment which serves mamak food. In Malaysia, the term mamak refers to Tamil Muslims, who generally own and operate them. Although traditionally operated from roadside stalls, some modern mamak stall operators have expanded their businesses into restaurant or...
s offering versions such as "Milo Dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
" (a cup of Milo with an extra spoonful of powdered undissolved Milo added to it), "Milo Godzilla
Godzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
" (a cup of Milo with ice cream and/or topped with whipped cream) and "Neslo" (combined with Nescafe
Nescafé
Nescafé is a brand of instant coffee made by Nestlé. It comes in the form of many different products. The name is a portmanteau of the words "Nestlé" and "café". Nestlé's flagship powdered coffee product was introduced in Switzerland on April 1, 1938 after being developed for seven or eight years...
powdered coffee). .
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, during the 1970s military dictatorship
Juan Velasco Alvarado
Juan Francisco Velasco Alvarado was a left-leaning Peruvian General who ruled Peru from 1968 to 1975 under the title of "President of the Revolutionary Government."- Early life :...
, Milo's powder can labels displayed promotion images of Peruvian motifs, such as photos of Peruvian towns and crops, or zoology and botany, as an educational aid. After 1980, when the military left power, the advertising fit to a sports image.
The India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n version is no longer in production because of intense competition from other beverages.
Nestle has now introduced a Canadian version of Milo. It is made in Canada. It dissolves rapidly like Nesquik, probably due to market expectations, but still retains the malt flavour. It is also sweeter than other varieties. This Milo as the brand has been in Eastern Canada since the late 1970's with the influx of people from previous British colonial territories such as the Caribbean and Hong Kong, and India. It was available in mostly small ethnic grocery stores, especially Caribbean food stores. It has recently been selling at larger chains to beef up their share in the ethnic market in Canada, and is now available in places like Superstore
Real Canadian Superstore
Real Canadian Superstore is a chain of hypermarkets owned by Canadian food retailing giant Loblaw Companies. Its name is often shortened to RCSS or Superstore....
, Extra Foods
Extra Foods
Extra Foods is a Canadian supermarket chain, part of Loblaw Companies Limited. It operates 72 stores in Western Canada. Most Extra Foods stores are smaller than its sister chain, The Real Canadian Superstore, and most locations are in smaller, rural communities...
and London Drugs
London Drugs
London Drugs is a chain of Canadian retail stores with headquarters in Richmond, British Columbia. Its primary focus is on pharmaceuticals, electronics, housewares and cosmetics, with a limited selection of grocery items...
. Some East Asian supermarkets (such as T&T Supermarket
T & T Supermarket
T & T Supermarket is a Canadian supermarket chain which sells primarily Chinese and Asian foods. The supermarket chain is headquartered in Richmond, British Columbia. In 1993, the first T & T was opened in Burnaby's Metropolis shopping centre in Metro Vancouver.With rapid expansion, T & T is now...
in Edmonton, Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary) will carry the version imported from China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
or Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.
In the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Nestle USA markets Milo. In 2010, canned ready to drink
Ready to drink
Ready to drink is a term used to describe a packaged beverages that is sold in a prepared form, ready for consumption.The term is typically used to contrast packaged forms of beverages that are also sold in forms that require preparation, for example iced tea and alcopops Ready to drink (often...
Milo from Malaysia could be found in Target stores as well as a variety of local grocery stores. The powdered variety can also be found in some stores.
It can also be found in the UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in some Sainsbury's and Tesco
Tesco
Tesco plc is a global grocery and general merchandise retailer headquartered in Cheshunt, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and the second-largest measured by profits...
supermarkets, which import it from Kenya or Uganda. Oriental Food specialists, such as Mini Siam Oriental Foods and Hoo Hing also stock it. A similar product called Ovaltine
Ovaltine
Ovaltine is a brand of milk flavoring product made with malt extract , sugar , cocoa, and whey...
is most popular with UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
consumers.
Derivative products
Milo (chocolate bar)
Nestlé Milo is a brownie, caramel, Milo balls and chocolate-covered candy bar this is produced by Nestlé for sale in Australia. The Milo bar uses the name and ingredients of the Australian-created Milo chocolate powder, and is a part of the Milo-brand family that also includes drinks, ice cream,...
", that is manufactured by Nestle and sold in Australia.
Milo has been available for many years in a malted flavour, marketed in a burgundy
Burgundy (color)
Burgundy is a shade of purplish red associated with the Burgundy wine of the same name, which in turn is named after the Burgundy region of France. The color burgundy is similar to other shades of dark red such as maroon...
can alongside the traditional green tin.
Products based on Milo are available, such as cereal, yoghurt and ice cream. In addition to the powdered form, there is a pre-mixed version of Milo that comes in cans or drink boxes.
In Australia, a new version of Milo called Milo B-Smart was released in 2008 (the original and malt Milo varieties remain); which is of a finer texture and has added B vitamins and iodine. It has a different taste from the original Milo formula and is marketed as a health food for children.
In some regions, a Milo branded cereal is produced. It consists of a crunchy crescent moon-shaped flake of dark brown colour. These flakes are flavoured to match Nestlé's Milo powdered drink. The flakes also have the property of flavouring the milk.
Consumption
Milo is added to hot or cold water and/or milk to make a malted chocolate beverage. It does not dissolve readily in cold milk, and so retains the gritty texture of its raw state. Milo can be stirred into steamed milk to make a drink akin to hot chocolate or cocoa. Another possible use is making a normal cup of cold Milo and microwaving it for approximately 40–60 seconds. This gives the Milo drink a biscuity cover on top.Milo is sometimes sprinkled on ice cream, or less commonly breakfast cereals. Milo is often the favoured beverage for the Tim Tam Slam.
Also very popular is the "Magic Milo" which involves adding Milo to a small amount of milk with sugar and whipping it to increase the amount of air in the milk, thereby doubling it in size. Then one adds small amounts of hot water and milk in layers stirring each new layer vigorously to maintain its lightness. A final layer of whipped cream is then topped with extra Milo or chocolate sprinkles. This is more of a 'warm' beverage rather than a 'hot' one and is a more popular version of hot Milo for children.
Milo manufactured outside Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
is customised for local methods of preparation. Milo with ice added is known as "Milo Peng" (alternately, "ping"), "peng" ( 冰 ) meaning ice in Cantonese and Hokkien
Min Nan
The Southern Min languages, or Min Nan , are a family of Chinese languages spoken in southern Fujian, eastern Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan, and southern Zhejiang provinces of China, and by descendants of emigrants from these areas in diaspora....
. In Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Milo is marketed as a canned energy drink, available in vending machines. In Hong Kong, Milo is served in Cha chaan teng
Cha chaan teng
A cha chaan teng means tea diner, also called Chinese diner, is commonly found in Hong Kong, China, and Taiwan, known for its Chinese food, eclectic and affordable menus, which include many dishes from Hong Kong cuisine and Hong Kong-style Western cuisine. Cha chaan tengs are also popular in Macau...
.
Milo is also a famous beverage in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
stalls, or fondly known as Mamak stall
Mamak stall
A mamak stall, is a food establishment which serves mamak food. In Malaysia, the term mamak refers to Tamil Muslims, who generally own and operate them. Although traditionally operated from roadside stalls, some modern mamak stall operators have expanded their businesses into restaurant or...
s in Malaysia. It is also sometimes used as an alternative to jam and put in bread or also as an ingredient in Roti Canai
Roti canai
Roti canai or roti cane is a type of Indian-influenced flatbread found in Malaysia and Indonesia. It is often sold in Mamak stalls in Malaysia; also in Malay, Minangkabau and Aceh restaurants in Indonesia...
.
In the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, Milo is a popular hot beverage analogous to tea or coffee and has been around since the colonial period.
In the past Milo was available in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
and in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. Nestle 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 Nigeria, Milo is also a very popular beverage.
Nutritional information
Milo is supposedly high in energyEnergy
In physics, energy is an indirectly observed quantity. It is often understood as the ability a physical system has to do work on other physical systems...
, because the drink has 1,760 kJ in every 100 g of the drink. It is also for this reason, marketed as the "Energy Food Drink". It is also supposed to have a low Glycemic Index
Glycemic index
The glycemic index, glycaemic index, or GI is a measure of the effects of carbohydrates on blood sugar levels. Carbohydrates that break down quickly during digestion and release glucose rapidly into the bloodstream have a high GI; carbohydrates that break down more slowly, releasing glucose more...
(GI), that is, "33 made with whole milk, 36 made with reduced fat milk". This allows the energy in Milo to be released slowly.
The Milo website states that the drink is high in calcium, iron and the vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12. It also has Actigen-E that releases the energy stored in a person's body.