Leena Watts
In the 1970s, Carnation Instant Breakfast was a popular diet drink, particularly for those who wanted a quick breakfast. It was marketed as a weight-loss product and was essentially a chocolate milkshake in a pouch. Carnation Instant Breakfast was also advertised as a healthy breakfast option for children. However, it contained processed sugars and skim milk powder. During the same period, Coca-Cola introduced Tab, its first diet drink, which was popular throughout the 1960s and 1970s as a sugar-free alternative to Coca-Cola.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Brand | Coca-Cola |
| Name | Tab (stylized as TaB) |
| Type | Diet cola soft drink |
| Sweeteners | Saccharin, cyclamate |
| Calories | Zero-calorie drink |
| Popularity | Best-selling diet soda in 1982 |
| Flavours | Root Beer, Lemon-Lime, Ginger Ale, Black Cherry, Strawberry, Orange |
| Availability | United States Virgin Islands, Southern African Customs Union, Norway, Canada, Spain, Australia (1960s to 1980s), United Kingdom (late 1970s to mid-1990s) |
| Discontinuation | 2020 |
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What You'll Learn
Carnation Instant Breakfast was a diet drink in the 1970s
The Carnation Breakfast Essentials range has been a long-standing product, with some consumers noting that they have been using it since they were young. The product is suitable for those aged four and above, including teens and adults. It is also gluten-free and appropriate for those with lactose intolerance, although it is not suitable for individuals with galactosemia.
Carnation Instant Breakfast was advertised as a nutritious way to start the day, with the convenience of a quick drink. It was positioned as a modern solution for time-poor individuals who wanted to maintain a healthy diet. The product was particularly appealing to those who enjoyed chocolate milk, offering a similar taste experience with added nutritional value.
However, some consumers have expressed concerns about the sugar content in Carnation Instant Breakfast, requesting that the manufacturer consider removing or reducing it. The product has also been criticised for containing carrageenan, an ingredient that some consumers believe is unhealthy. Despite these concerns, Carnation Instant Breakfast has maintained a loyal customer base, with some expressing their love for the product's taste and convenience.
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It was a powder drink mix with skim milk powder, cocoa, sugars, and vitamins
In the 1970s, Carnation offered a powder drink mix that contained skim milk powder, cocoa, sugars, and vitamins. This product was marketed as Carnation Instant Breakfast and positioned as a replacement for real food. It was promoted as a convenient and nutritious option for people on the go, who didn't have time for a proper breakfast.
The powder mix could be combined with milk to create a flavoured drink, with the most popular variety being chocolate. The product was also available in other flavours such as French Vanilla, Strawberry, and Cookies n' Creme Caramel. Carnation's powder drink mix was fortified with essential vitamins and minerals, including calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin C.
The product was targeted at both children and adults, with the packaging and advertising reflecting this broad appeal. It was promoted as a quick and easy way to get the nutrients of a balanced breakfast without having to spend time preparing and consuming a traditional meal.
While the powder drink mix offered convenience and nutritional value, some consumers have expressed concerns about the presence of sugar in the product. This has led to requests for alternative formulations or the removal of sugar altogether. Over time, Carnation introduced variations of their product, including a ready-to-drink version called Carnation Breakfast Essentials, which also received mixed reviews due to the inclusion of stevia.
Despite some criticisms, Carnation's powder drink mix and its subsequent variations have maintained a loyal customer base. Many consumers appreciate the convenience, flavour, and nutritional benefits offered by these products, integrating them into their daily routines and even using them for special occasions like camping trips.
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It was marketed as a weight loss product
In the 1970s, Carnation offered a diet drink that was marketed as a weight-loss product. It was called "Instant Breakfast" and was targeted at people who didn't have time for a proper breakfast. It was essentially a chocolate-flavoured milkshake in a pouch, consisting of skim milk powder, cocoa, various processed sugars, and vitamins.
The Carnation Instant Breakfast was part of a broader trend in the 1960s and 1970s of manufactured products being promoted as healthier than "old-fashioned" real food. During this time, diet sodas became increasingly popular, with companies like Coca-Cola and Pepsi developing their own versions. These drinks used artificial sweeteners like saccharin and cyclamate to create zero-calorie beverages.
One of the most popular diet drinks of the time was Tab, introduced by Coca-Cola in 1963. Tab was the company's first zero-calorie drink, sweetened with saccharin and cyclamate. It was marketed to consumers who wanted to "keep tabs" on their weight. Despite concerns about the link between saccharin and bladder cancer in the early 1970s, Tab remained commercially successful, and it was the best-selling diet soda in 1982.
Another diet drink that emerged during this time was Patio Diet Cola, which was introduced by Pepsi in 1964 and renamed Diet Pepsi the following year. This marked the beginning of a direct competition between Coca-Cola and Pepsi that shaped the diet soda market for the next fifty years.
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It was also available as a ready-to-drink product
In the 1970s, Carnation offered a diet drink called Carnation Instant Breakfast, which was a powdered drink mix. It was marketed as a weight-loss product and was popular among those who wanted a quick breakfast option. The product contained skim milk powder, cocoa, processed sugars, and vitamins, and was described as "shitty chocolate milk with vitamins".
Carnation Instant Breakfast was also available as a ready-to-drink product, which has remained on the market to this day under the name Carnation Breakfast Essentials. The ready-to-drink version is marketed as a nutritional drink that is suitable for ages 4 years and older, including teens and adults. It is gluten-free and suitable for lactose intolerance, although it is not recommended for individuals with galactosemia. The drink comes in a variety of flavours, including Rich Milk Chocolate, Classic French Vanilla, Creamy Strawberry, Cookies n' Creme, and Caramel.
The ready-to-drink version of Carnation Breakfast Essentials has received some criticism from consumers due to the presence of stevia, an ingredient that some people dislike the taste of. Despite this, the product has its fans, with some consumers praising its convenience, health benefits, and affordability. The drink is available in 6-pack containers and is positioned as an inexpensive and nutritious alternative to similar products on the market.
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$33.34
Carnation's popularity declined after the introduction of Diet Coke in 1982
In the 1970s, Carnation was a popular diet drink, particularly among those looking for an alternative to Coca-Cola. However, its popularity began to decline after the introduction of Diet Coke in 1982.
Diet Coke, introduced by the Coca-Cola Company, offered consumers a new alternative to sugary drinks. It was the company's first zero-calorie drink, sweetened with saccharin and cyclamate. The use of artificial sweeteners was a common practice in the diet sodas of the 1960s and 1970s, but it often left a bitter, metallic aftertaste. Despite this, Tab, another Coca-Cola product, had managed to become the best-selling diet soda in 1982, the same year Diet Coke was introduced.
Tab had a strong following, particularly among those watching their weight, and it had a variety of flavours, including Root Beer, Lemon-Lime, Ginger Ale, Black Cherry, Strawberry, and Orange. However, the introduction of Diet Coke still caused a shift in the market.
By 1983, Diet Coke had incorporated aspartame as a sweetener, which had been discovered in 1965 and approved for use in 1981. This new sweetener may have contributed to Diet Coke's growing popularity. By 1995, Diet Coke had captured 35% of the diet soda market, while Tab's sales had significantly decreased.
While Tab retained a cult following, particularly in the United States, its sales could not compete with Diet Coke's. In 2011, Coca-Cola produced approximately 3 million cases of Tab, while it produced 885 million cases of Diet Coke. This decline in popularity for Tab, and the rise in popularity of Diet Coke, contributed to Carnation's decreasing popularity in the soft drink market.
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Frequently asked questions
Carnation had an instant breakfast drink mix in the 1970s, which was a powder containing skim milk powder, cocoa, various processed sugars, and vitamins. It was marketed as a weight loss product.
The Carnation instant breakfast drink mix was marketed as a weight loss product, so it can be considered a diet drink.
Yes, in the 1960s and 1970s, diet drinks typically used artificial sweeteners like saccharin and cyclamate to cut calories. One popular diet drink was Tab, a sugarless soda produced and distributed by the Coca-Cola Company. Other popular diet drinks included Diet Rite, Patio Diet Cola (later renamed Diet Pepsi), and Diet Coke.
Yes, studies in the early 1970s linked high volumes of cyclamate and saccharin, the artificial sweeteners used in diet drinks, with the development of bladder cancer in laboratory rats. As a result, the United States Congress mandated warning labels on products containing these sweeteners. However, it's important to note that the label requirement was later repealed when no evidence was found to support that saccharin caused cancer in humans.
