Milo has long been part of the Kiwi kitchen, whether after sport, on school camp or just on a cold evening.
Former Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern stirred the pot — or the mug — after expressing surprise at the number of teaspoons of Milo Nestlé recommended using in a single serving.
In a post to Instagram, Dame Jacinda featured a photo of a tin of Milo showing the “perfect” way to make a cup.
It suggested putting in six teaspoons with 200ml of water or milk.
“Is that an extreme Milo to liquid ratio? Or is that the way it’s always been?”
She said as a youngster, she’d been allowed one or two teaspoons and the instructions had generated much debate in her household.
Nestlé’s head of marketing, Fern Castellanos, weighed in on the debate, acknowledging on Breakfast today that Dame Jacinda’s post had caused “quite the stir”.
Castellanos said the recommended six teaspoons is likely for a tin the former Prime Minister picked up in her travels, but confirmed that it is not the New Zealand Milo recommendation.
“Our product recommendation is three heaped teaspoons of Milo,” she said.
Former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern sparked debate yesterday after she discovered a can of Milo that recommended six teaspoons. (Source: Breakfast)
“Six teaspoons might create quite a different formulation”.
“Being a global brand (Milo) caters for the local taste,” Castellanos said, adding that different countries prefer different levels of crunch, sweetness and strength.
Regarding Kiwis, Castellanos said “30% of New Zealanders add a teaspoon of sugar to Milo”.
This included Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who told Breakfast that the “combination of the Milo with the sugar makes it really special”.
However, when it comes to the debate over using milk or water for maximum flavour, Castellanos said there is no clear winner.
