How did Ovaltine milk drink originate and what is its history?
Ovaltine began as Ovomaltine, launched in 1904 by Wander AG in Bern, Switzerland. Wander's own history says it was first sold for medicinal purposes, and the Swiss National Museum says the drink mixed malt extract with milk, egg, yeast and cocoa. It followed a 1903 version called Maltosan.
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In this article
Who invented Ovaltine and when?
Wander AG’s company history says the work began in 1865, when chemist Georg Wander in Bern found a way to make malt wort preservable. After Georg died in 1897, his son Albert Wander, also a chemist and pharmacist, continued and refined the taste. Ovomaltine was first launched in 1904.
What was the first version?
The Swiss National Museum says the breakthrough came in 1903 under the name Maltosan, and a year later as Ovomaltine. Its chemists mixed malt extract with milk, egg, yeast and cocoa.
How was it sold at first?
Wander says it was originally sold for medicinal purposes. The museum adds that it was first sold only in pharmacies in Switzerland. Athletes soon adopted it as a restorative drink.
How did it spread abroad?
| Year | Event (Wander) |
|---|---|
| 1904 | Ovomaltine launched |
| 1906 | Sales depots in Italy and England |
| 1913 | First overseas factory, Kings Langley, England |
| 1927 | Production moved from Bern to Neuenegg |
The museum says that before the First World War, Wander also set up companies in Illinois (USA), France and London.
Why is it called Ovaltine?
The museum says only that the drink was later sold as Ovaltine in some countries. Neither page explains the name or why it changed, so we do not guess.
People also ask
When did Ovaltine come out?
Ovomaltine was launched in 1904 by Wander AG in Bern, Switzerland, after a 1903 version named Maltosan.
What was Ovaltine originally made of?
The Swiss National Museum says malt extract mixed with milk, egg, yeast and cocoa.
Where did Ovaltine originate?
Bern, Switzerland, where Wander AG was based.
Sources
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