Polo (mint)
Encyclopedia
Polos are a brand of sweets
whose defining feature is the hole in the middle. The peppermint
flavoured polo was first manufactured in the United Kingdom
in 1948 by employee John Bargewell at the Rowntree's Factory, York, a range of flavours followed. The name ‘Polo’ is reportedly from the word ‘Polar’ and is to symbolise the cool and fresh feeling one gets from sucking a Polo.
in 1948, and Polo fruits followed soon after. In 1948, when the Polo mint was brought to market, there was no hole in the centre. This was introduced in 1955.
Polo is still Britain's best selling mint brand with approximately 20 million mints produced every day and an average of one hundred and fifty Polos eaten every second.
have come up with variations of the Original Polo mint. Some of these have been successes, whereas others have flopped. However, none has been as successful as the Original Polo mint.
Before this Rowntree had already experimented with different Polos in the 1980s. Polo Fruits were always available but they briefly made:
Citrus Polos have been taken off the market. Many people have campaigned to bring them back but have failed.
Ingredients of the main variety include: sugar
, glucose
syrup, modified starch
, stearic acid
(of vegetable origin), lubricant(570) and mint oils.
was introduced in UK, Nestlé applied to register the shape of the Polo mint. The application featured a white, annular mint without any lettering. This application however was opposed by Kraft Foods
, the then owner of Life Savers
, and Mars
UK because of the lack of distinctive character of the mint in question. Nestlé’s application was allowed to proceed if it agreed to narrow the description of the mint i.e. the dimensions of the mint were limited to the standard dimensions of the Polo mint and that it was limited to ‘mint flavoured compressed confectionery
’.
Kraft Foods and Swizzels Matlow
(owner of British Navy Sweets) have made similar applications for annular sweets bearing the mark LIFESAVERS or NAVY. Nestlé has tried to oppose these trademark applications but has failed as the court ruled that customers would be able to distinguish between a Polo, a Lifesaver and a British Navy mint as all of them have their marks boldly and prominently embossed on the mint.
SweetS
was a Japanese idol group. Put together through auditions, the group debuted in 2003 on the avex trax label. Although the group met minor success, they disbanded after three years with the release of a final single in June 2006....
whose defining feature is the hole in the middle. The peppermint
Peppermint
Peppermint is a hybrid mint, a cross between the watermint and spearmint . The plant, indigenous to Europe, is now widespread in cultivation throughout all regions of the world...
flavoured polo was first manufactured in the United Kingdom
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 1948 by employee John Bargewell at the Rowntree's Factory, York, a range of flavours followed. The name ‘Polo’ is reportedly from the word ‘Polar’ and is to symbolise the cool and fresh feeling one gets from sucking a Polo.
History
Polo mints were introduced by Rowntree'sRowntree's
Rowntree's was a confectionery business based in York, England. It is now a historic brand owned by Nestlé, used to market a range of fruit gums and pastilles formerly owned by Rowntree's. Following a merger with John Mackintosh & Co., the Company became known as Rowntree Mackintosh, was listed on...
in 1948, and Polo fruits followed soon after. In 1948, when the Polo mint was brought to market, there was no hole in the centre. This was introduced in 1955.
Polo is still Britain's best selling mint brand with approximately 20 million mints produced every day and an average of one hundred and fifty Polos eaten every second.
Varieties
Over the years Rowntree and NestléNestlé
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...
have come up with variations of the Original Polo mint. Some of these have been successes, whereas others have flopped. However, none has been as successful as the Original Polo mint.
- Spearmint: These Polos have a strong spearmintSpearmintMentha spicata syn. M. cordifolia is a species of mint native to much of Europe and southwest Asia, though its exact natural range is uncertain due to extensive early cultivation. It grows in wet soils...
flavour and aroma. The original design of the sweets had turquoise flecks on them and were mildly triboluminescentTriboluminescenceTriboluminescence is an optical phenomenon in which light is generated when material is pulled apart, ripped, scratched, crushed, or rubbed through the breaking of chemical bonds in the material. The phenomenon is not fully understood, but appears to be caused by the separation and reunification...
, however now they are simply clear white to reduce E numbers. - Fruit: These are boiled sweets in several fruit flavours, all in one tube. Flavours include strawberryStrawberryFragaria is a genus of flowering plants in the rose family, Rosaceae, commonly known as strawberries for their edible fruits. Although it is commonly thought that strawberries get their name from straw being used as a mulch in cultivating the plants, the etymology of the word is uncertain. There...
, blackcurrantBlackcurrantBlackcurrant, Ribes nigrum, is a species of Ribes berry native to central and northern Europe and northern Asia, and is a perennial....
, orangeOrange (fruit)An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....
, lemonLemonThe lemon is both a small evergreen tree native to Asia, and the tree's ellipsoidal yellow fruit. The fruit is used for culinary and non-culinary purposes throughout the world – primarily for its juice, though the pulp and rind are also used, mainly in cooking and baking...
, and limeLime (fruit)Lime is a term referring to a number of different citrus fruits, both species and hybrids, which are typically round, green to yellow in color, 3–6 cm in diameter, and containing sour and acidic pulp. Limes are a good source of vitamin C. Limes are often used to accent the flavors of foods and...
. - Polo Gummies: Fruit-flavoured soft gummy sweets in the polo shape.
- Sugar free: Sugar free version of the Original Polo containing sorbitolSorbitolSorbitol, also known as glucitol, Sorbogem® and Sorbo®, is a sugar alcohol that the human body metabolizes slowly. It can be obtained by reduction of glucose, changing the aldehyde group to a hydroxyl group. Sorbitol is found in apples, pears, peaches, and prunes...
. - Polo Holes: Nestlé experimented with this variation for a while. It was the original Polo flavour in the shape and size of the hole in the middle of the Original Polo.
- Mini Strong Polos: Tiny Polos (about 0.5 cm in diameter) with a strong minty flavour. They were packaged in a box shaped like a Polo Mint. They were also available in a not so successful orange flavour (known as Super OJs) which is no longer available.
- Smoothies: These creamy sweets came in flavours such as blackcurrant, sunshine fruits and strawberry.
- Citrus Sharp: Lemon and lime flavoured.
- Butter Mint Polos: mint-flavour butterscotchButterscotchButterscotch is a type of confectionery whose primary ingredients are brown sugar and butter, although other ingredients such as corn syrup, cream, vanilla, and salt are part of some recipes...
. - Extra Strong : A rival for Trebor, these were very hot.
- Ice: These came in a shiny blue wrapper, and had a cooler mint taste.
- CinnamonCinnamonCinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several trees from the genus Cinnamomum that is used in both sweet and savoury foods...
flavoured. - PaanPaanPaan, from the word pān is an Indian, Pakistani, Uttarvarshi and Southeast Asian tradition of chewing betel leaf with areca nut and slaked lime paste, and katha brown powder paste, with many regional and local variations...
flavoured (previously available in India). - Mint O Fruit: (available in Indonesia). These come in the following flavours: Raspberry Mint, Blackcurrant Mint, Peppermint, Lime Mint and Cherry Mint. These polos come with the following slogan "Think Plong! Masih Ada Bolong!" These are also sold in the UK in some PoundlandPoundlandPoundland is a British-based variety store chain which sells every item in its stores for £1. Established in April 1990 by Dave Dodd and Stephen Smith, Poundland stock a variety of around 3,000 home and kitchen-ware, gifts, healthcare and other products, across 16 categories many of which are brand...
stores.
Before this Rowntree had already experimented with different Polos in the 1980s. Polo Fruits were always available but they briefly made:
- Lemon: Similar to the citrus flavour that Nestlé put out around ten years later, but not identical.
- Orange: similar to the lemon, but in an orange packet.
- Tropical Fruit: included Banana, Melon, Coconut and others
- Globes : small capsules filled with mint-flavoured liquid in a small box with a flip lid
Citrus Polos have been taken off the market. Many people have campaigned to bring them back but have failed.
The mint
A Polo is approximately 1.9 cm in diameter, 0.4 cm deep and has a 0.8 cm wide hole. The original Polo is white in colour with a hole in the middle, and the word 'POLO' embossed twice on one side around the ring, hence the popular slogan The Mint with the Hole. They are hard mints, rather than soft and are small and refreshing.Ingredients of the main variety include: sugar
Sucrose
Sucrose is the organic compound commonly known as table sugar and sometimes called saccharose. A white, odorless, crystalline powder with a sweet taste, it is best known for its role in human nutrition. The molecule is a disaccharide composed of glucose and fructose with the molecular formula...
, glucose
Glucose
Glucose is a simple sugar and an important carbohydrate in biology. Cells use it as the primary source of energy and a metabolic intermediate...
syrup, modified starch
Modified starch
Modified starch, also called starch derivatives, are prepared by physically, enzymatically, or chemically treating native starch, thereby changing the properties of the starch. Modified starches are used in practically all starch applications, such as in food products as a thickening agent,...
, stearic acid
Stearic acid
Stearic acid is the saturated fatty acid with an 18 carbon chain and has the IUPAC name octadecanoic acid. It is a waxy solid, and its chemical formula is CH316CO2H. Its name comes from the Greek word στέαρ "stéatos", which means tallow. The salts and esters of stearic acid are called stearates...
(of vegetable origin), lubricant(570) and mint oils.
Packaging
Polos are usually sold in individual packs of 23 mints, which measure about 10 cm tall. The tube of Polos is tightly wrapped with aluminium foil backed paper. A green and blue paper wrapper, with the word ‘POLO’, binds the foil wrapper, with the Os in ‘Polo’ represented by images of the sweet. For the spearmint flavour, the paper wrapper is a bluish green, and the Extra Strong flavour is in a black paper wrapper.Trademarks
When the Trade Marks Act 1994Trade Marks Act 1994
The Trade Marks Act 1994 is the law governing trademarks within the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man. It implements EU Directive No. 89/104/EEC which forms the framework for the trade mark laws of all EU member states, and replaced an earlier law, the Trade Marks Act 1938...
was introduced in UK, Nestlé applied to register the shape of the Polo mint. The application featured a white, annular mint without any lettering. This application however was opposed by Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods Inc. is an American confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate. It markets many brands in more than 170 countries. 12 of its brands annually earn more than $1 billion worldwide: Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Trident, Tang...
, the then owner of Life Savers
Life Savers
Life Savers is an American brand of ring-shaped mints and artificially fruit-flavored hard candy. The candy is known for its distinctive packaging, coming in aluminum foil rolls....
, and Mars
Mars, Incorporated
Mars, Incorporated is a worldwide manufacturer of confectionery, pet food, and other food products with US$30 billion in annual sales in 2010, and is ranked as the 5th largest privately held company in the United States by Forbes. Headquartered in McLean, unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia,...
UK because of the lack of distinctive character of the mint in question. Nestlé’s application was allowed to proceed if it agreed to narrow the description of the mint i.e. the dimensions of the mint were limited to the standard dimensions of the Polo mint and that it was limited to ‘mint flavoured compressed confectionery
Tableting
Tableting is a method of confectionery manufacture that shares many similarities with tablet pharmaceutical production.A powder or granule mixture is prepared, a die mold is filled, and then the mixture is compressed and ejected. While drug tablets are constrained to shapes that can be swallowed...
’.
Kraft Foods and Swizzels Matlow
Swizzels Matlow
Swizzels Matlow is a British-based traditional confectionery manufacturer.Their best known sweets include Love Hearts, Double Lollies, Drumsticks, Refreshers , Fizzers and Parma Violets...
(owner of British Navy Sweets) have made similar applications for annular sweets bearing the mark LIFESAVERS or NAVY. Nestlé has tried to oppose these trademark applications but has failed as the court ruled that customers would be able to distinguish between a Polo, a Lifesaver and a British Navy mint as all of them have their marks boldly and prominently embossed on the mint.