10 Things You Never Knew About MILO

MILO is celebrating 80 years of existence this year, having first launched to the public at Sydney’s Royal Easter Show in 1934.

Whether you like your MILO hot, cold, with breakfast, after sport, stirred in or sprinkled on top of a glass of milk, sneaking an extra spoonful of MILO has become somewhat of a rite of passage for kids Australia wide.

 MILO tins in the 1940s.

To celebrate, here are ten things you never knew about ‘The Food Drink’:

1. MILO was developed for Nestle in the 1930s during the depression, as a direct response to the fact that children were not receiving enough nutrients from their daily diet.

2. MILO is not just loved in Australia - it’s sold in 40 countries worldwide.

3. Over 2 million cans of MILO are produced every year — that’s 480 million cups, which is enough to fill 480 Olympic swimming pools.

4. Aussie MILO is still made in the same factory in Smithtown, NSW, where it was first produced in 1934. 170 people currently work at the factory.

5. Aussie MILO still tastes the same as it always has — the recipe has remained unchanged in Australia since its creation. Around the world, however, the recipe is slightly different — for example, Kiwis have their very own MILO recipe, designed for their taste preferences.

6. A glass of MILO gives you 50 per cent of your recommended daily calcium, iron and vitamin C intake.

7. If it wasn’t for MILO creator Thomas Mayne’s children, the iconic MILO crunch might never have been. Thomas spent hours trying to make MILO dissolve more into milk, but on hearing that his children loved eating the crunchy top layer, he gave up. Thank goodness for that!

8. Thomas’ wife was the original guinea pig for the MILO recipe, as he brought it home for years to perfect the MILO taste before releasing it to the public.

9. MILO is named after the Greek character Milos who was known for his strength. The original cans showed a depiction of a cow the Olympic athlete Milos carried on his shoulders to help build his strength. The story goes that as the heifer grew, so did the athlete.

10. MILO creator Thomas Mayne practised what he preached — he enjoyed a hot MILO every night before bed before he died aged 93.

To celebrate 80 years of MILO, MILO have recreated their 1934 bar at this year’s Royal Easter Show — be sure to check it out.



(Kredit: www.news.com.au)