Akta-Vite

Last updated

Akta-Vite is a brand of chocolate flavoring for milk or plant milk. As it does not itself contain milk products, it is lactose-free and suitable for people who are lactose intolerant or avoiding dairy products for other reasons. It was created in 1943 by George Nicholas in Chadstone, a suburb of Melbourne, and initially marketed as a nutritional supplement available only in pharmacies. It is owned and manufactured by the Nicholas family through Nicholas Health and Nutrition Pty Ltd. [1]

Contents

History

Alfred Nicholas and his brother George Nicholas became wealthy by producing Australian-made aspirin sold as Aspro after Bayer lost their Australian patent during the First World War. This wealth enabled them to diversify into nutritional supplements, including Akta-Vite. [2] Many nutrients were not readily available in synthetic form in the 1940s, with natural ingredients including vitamin A from shark livers. [1] Akta-Vite was exported to Southeast Asia in the 1950s, and became a well-known brand in Thailand. [3]

The brand was sold to the Sara Lee Corporation in 1984, and bought back by the Nicholas family in 2016. [1]

Marketing

The product is recognisable by its orange tin can. [2]

Related Research Articles

Dairy product Food produced from or containing the milk of mammals

Dairy products or milk products are a type of food produced from or containing the milk of mammals. They are primarily produced from mammals such as cattle, water buffaloes, goats, sheep, camels and humans. Dairy products include food items such as yogurt, cheese and butter. A facility that produces dairy products is known as a dairy, or dairy factory. Dairy products are consumed worldwide, with the exception of most of East and Southeast Asia and parts of central Africa.

Milk white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals

Milk is a nutrient-rich liquid food produced in the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for infant mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to its young and can reduce the risk of many diseases. It contains many other nutrients including protein and lactose. Interspecies consumption of milk is not uncommon, particularly among humans, many of whom consume the milk of other mammals.

Lactose intolerance condition in which people have symptoms due to a decreased ability to digest lactose

Lactose intolerance is a decreased ability to digest lactose, a sugar found in dairy products. Those affected vary in the amount of lactose they can tolerate before symptoms develop. Symptoms may include abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, gas, and nausea. These symptoms typically start thirty minutes to two hours after eating or drinking milk-based food. Their severity typically depends on the amount a person eats or drinks. Lactose intolerance does not cause damage to the gastrointestinal tract.

Infant formula manufactured food designed and marketed for feeding of infants

Infant formula, baby formula or just formula or baby milk, infant milk or first milk, is a manufactured food designed and marketed for feeding to babies and infants under 12 months of age, usually prepared for bottle-feeding or cup-feeding from powder or liquid. The U.S. Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA) defines infant formula as "a food which purports to be or is represented for special dietary use solely as a food for infants by reason of its simulation of human milk or its suitability as a complete or partial substitute for human milk".

Yogurt A food produced by bacterial fermentation of milk

Yogurt, also spelled yoghurt, yogourt or yoghourt, is a food produced by bacterial fermentation of milk. The bacteria used to make yogurt are known as yogurt cultures. The fermentation of lactose by these bacteria produces lactic acid, which acts on milk protein to give yogurt its texture and characteristic tart flavor. Cow's milk is commonly available worldwide and, as such, is the milk most commonly used to make yogurt. Milk from water buffalo, goats, ewes, mares, camels, and yaks is also used to produce yogurt where available locally. The milk used may be homogenized or not. It may be pasteurized or raw. Each type of milk produces substantially different results.

Whey liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained

Whey is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. It is a byproduct of the manufacture of cheese or casein and has several commercial uses. Sweet whey is a byproduct resulting from the manufacture of rennet types of hard cheese, like cheddar or Swiss cheese. Acid whey is a byproduct brought out during the making of acid types of dairy products, such as cottage cheese or strained yogurt.

Horlicks hot drink

Horlicks is a sweet malted milk hot drink powder developed by founders James and William Horlick. It was first sold as "Horlick's Infant and Invalids Food", soon adding "aged and travellers" to their label. In the early 20th century it was sold as a powdered meal replacement drink mix.

Freddo chocolate bar brand

Freddo is a chocolate bar brand shaped like an anthropomorphic cartoon frog. It was originally manufactured by the now defunct company MacRobertson's, an Australian confectionery company, but is now produced by Cadbury. Some of the more popular flavours include strawberry and peppermint while the more controversial flavours like fruit and nut have struggled over the years.

Ovaltine brand of milk flavoring product

Ovaltine is a brand of milk flavoring product made with malt extract, sugar, and whey. Some flavors also have cocoa. Ovaltine, a registered trademark of Associated British Foods, is made by Wander AG, a subsidiary of Twinings, which acquired the brand from Novartis in 2002, except in the United States, where Nestlé acquired the rights separately from Novartis in the late 2000s.

Kit Kat Chocolate bar

Kit Kat is a chocolate-covered wafer bar confection created by Rowntree's of York, United Kingdom, and is now produced globally by Nestlé, which acquired Rowntree in 1988, with the exception of the United States, where it is made under license by the H. B. Reese Candy Company, a division of The Hershey Company. The standard bars consist of two or four pieces composed of three layers of wafer, separated and covered by an outer layer of chocolate. Each finger can be snapped from the bar separately. There are many different flavours of Kit Kat, including milk, white, and dark chocolate.

Milo (drink) chocolate and malt powder drink produced by Nestlé

Milo is a chocolate and malt powder typically mixed with hot water or milk to produce a beverage popular in Oceania, South America,West Indies,Southeast Asia and parts of Africa. Produced by Nestlé, Milo was originally developed in Australia by Thomas Mayne in 1934.

Carnation (brand) Brand of evaporated milk and other products

Carnation is a brand of food products. The brand was especially known for its evaporated milk product created in 1899, then called Carnation Sterilized Cream and later called Carnation Evaporated Milk. The brand has since been used for other related products including milk-flavoring mixes, flavored beverages, flavor syrups, hot cocoa mixes, instant breakfasts, corn flakes, ice cream novelties, and dog food. Nestlé acquired the Carnation Company in 1985.

Maltesers confectionery product manufactured by Mars

Maltesers are a British confectionery product manufactured by Mars, Incorporated. First sold in the UK in 1937, they were originally aimed at women. They have since been sold in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and, since 2017, the US. The slogan is "The lighter way to enjoy chocolate".

Milk substitute non-dairy substitute for milk

A milk substitute is one term used to describe plant milk in relation to mammalian milk. Other terms include non-dairy beverage, nut milk, and alternative milk.

Saputo Inc. Canadian dairy company

Saputo Inc. is a Montreal-based Canadian dairy company founded in 1954 by the Saputo family. Currently, Saputo produces, markets, and distributes a wide array of dairy products, including cheese, fluid milk, extended shelf-life milk and cream products, cultured products and dairy ingredients. It is one of the top ten dairy processors in the world. After growing in its home region of Quebec, the company has expanded predominantly through mergers and acquisitions.

Sustagen is a nutritional supplement beverage brand, available in both ready-to-drink and powdered form, manufactured by the food science division of Nestle, and includes products for those with special dietary requirements for example, gluten-free, low lactose, high fibre, high protein or with added probiotics. The Nestle food science division also manufactures the Optifast Nutritional line, which includes weight-loss shakes.

Murray Goulburn Co-operative Co. Limited is a dairy-processing company owned by Saputo, a publicly-listed Canadian dairy company. It was originally an agricultural co-operative formed in 1950 from a group of dairy farms and has grown to become Australia's largest processor of milk.

CytoSport is an American manufacturer of sports-oriented nutritional products, or "supplements" based in Benicia, California. It offers a line of protein-enhanced powders, shakes, and bars has broken into the mainstream market with a ready-to-drink form of protein supplement Muscle Milk, a non-dairy beverage which is trans-fat- and lactose-free, contains no high fructose corn syrup and is shelf stable. Muscle Milk mainly markets on taste by using familiar milkshake flavors such as banana, milk chocolate and vanilla to drive consumers to the product, along with multiple drink sizes and formats, including powders and being sold in convenience stores alongside regular energy drinks and sports drinks. In Canada, the product is branded as Muscle Mlk, a modification required in Canada to avoid confusion with milk.

Frosty Paws

Frosty Paws, formerly Pet79, and Fido Freeze is a brand of ice cream, specifically formulated and sold for dogs. It is produced by Nestlé, under their Nestlé Dreyer's Ice Cream Company ice cream unit; branded under the Purina brand name.

Pea milk plant milk made from yellow peas

Pea milk is a type of plant milk made using pea protein, which is made of yellow peas. Commercial pea milk typically comes in sweetened, unsweetened, vanilla and chocolate flavours, and is usually enriched with vitamins. It is marketed as a more environmentally-friendly alternative to almond milk and a non-GMO alternative to soy milk. The two largest brands of pea milk are Ripple Foods and Bolthouse Farms. Pea milk is a plant-based alternative to dairy milk. It is available in several countries including the US, UK and Australia and is vegan, nut free and lactose free. Pea milk is a part of plant milks, which are gaining in popularity due to increased lactose intolerance among consumers and demand for environmentally sustainable products. The plant-based milk industry as per 2019 estimates is worth approximately US$5 billion and will reach a value of US$26 billion in 5 years. There has been research in the role of pea proteins in preparing infant formula, yoghurt and calf mixtures. The colour is off-white and pea milk is made through crushing yellow split peas and mixing the soluble components with water. Pea milk may also be prepared at home. It is perceived to be environmentally sustainable and requires less water than the production of dairy milk. There is limited information on the total carbon emissions and water consumption of producing ready to drink pea milk.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Akta-Vite Returns to its Original Owners". The Australia Times. 27 April 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
  2. 1 2 Moncrief, Marc (2 May 2016). "Shake up looms for Akta-Vite after family firm buys back Aussie icon". The Age. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
  3. Battersby, Paul (2007). To the Islands: White Australia and the Malay Archipelago since 1788. Lexington Books. p. 180. ISBN   9780739161784 . Retrieved 1 January 2019.