Crystal Light
{{short description|Line of powdered beverage mixes produced by Kraft Foods}}
{{Infobox brand
| name = Crystal Light
| logo = Crystal light logo.png
| logo_size = 150
| image = Crystal Light lemonade.jpg
| image_size = 150
| caption = Glass of Crystal light lemonade
| producttype = Drink mix
| currentowner = Kraft Heinz
| producedby =
| country = U.S.
| introduced = {{start date and age|1982}}
| discontinued =
| related =
| markets =
| previousowners =
| trademarkregistrations =
| ambassadors =
| tagline =
| website = {{URL|https://www.crystallight.com/|crystallight.com}}
| module =
| module1 =
| footnotes =
}}
Crystal Light is an American brand of powdered and artificially sweetened beverage mixes produced by Kraft Heinz. It was introduced in 1982 to a test market and released to the public in April 1984. General Foods, a now defunct company, were the original sellers of the product, but now it is sold by Kraft Foods. It is available in a wide variety of flavors, such as lemonade, sweet tea, and fruit punch.
History
=Test marketing and introduction=
Crystal Light was sold in test markets beginning in 1982.{{Cite news|last=Lazarus|first=George|date=May 7, 1982|title=GF, Wyler betting sugar free worth cost|pages=88|work=Chicago Tribune|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59955773/gf-wyler-betting-sugar-free-worth-cost/}}{{Cite news|last=Dean|first=Susan L.|date=July 7, 1982|title=Sugar substitute holds promise|pages=34|work=Green Bay Press-Gazette|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59955899/sugar-substitute-holds-promise/|access-date=2020-09-25}}{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HlNWAAAAMAAJ&q=%22crystal+light%22+intitle:%22processed+prepared+food%22|title=Processed Prepared Food|date=1982|publisher=Gorman Publishing Company|volume=151|language=en}} As of mid-1983, it was being sold in 11 test areas.{{Cite news|last=Cook|first=Winifred I.|date=1983-05-31|title=Aspartame is being used|pages=4|work=The Central New Jersey Home News|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/59956693/aspartame-is-being-used/|access-date=2020-09-25}} It was introduced throughout the United States in April 1984.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kXYnAQAAMAAJ&q=%22crystal+light%22+1984+%22general+foods%22|title=Beverage World Periscope|date=1984|publisher=Beverage World Periscope|volume=3|pages=29|language=en}} General Foods sold $150 million of Crystal Light during the product's first year on national markets, representing 20% of all powdered drink mixes and 2/3 of all sugar-free drink mixes in the United States.{{cite journal|last=Austin|first=Joanne|date=November 1985|title=The Crystal Light persuasion|journal=Madison Avenue|volume=27|issue=11|page=20}}
= Advertisements =
In the 1980s, ads for the product featured Linda Evans{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw_3AT-XHug|title=1985 Crystal Light commercial featuring Linda Evans|website=www.youtube.com|date=14 August 2014 |access-date=2019-01-16}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T49GkeO11p0|title=Undated Crystal Light commercial featuring Linda Evans|website=www.youtube.com|date=6 March 2008 |access-date=2019-01-16}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Kipk-uEzdQ|title=Late 1980s Crystal Light commercial featuring Linda Evans|website=www.youtube.com|date=20 December 2013 |access-date=2019-01-16}} (who also featured in print ads for the product), Priscilla Presley,{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcYC5RJfYFY|title=1986 Crystal Light Commercial featuring Priscilla Presley|website=www.youtube.com|date=25 April 2011 |access-date=2019-01-16}} and Raquel Welch.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgG5ek77u_U|title=1987 Crystal Light commercial featuring Raquel Welch|website=www.youtube.com|date=4 July 2008 |access-date=2019-01-16}}
= Ingredients =
Crystal Light is sweetened with a combination of aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, and/or sugar depending on the specific product line and flavor.The packaging of Crystal Light, ingredients list.
First packaged in multi-serve canisters, Crystal Light launched single-serve "On The Go" packets in 2004. In 2009, Crystal Light redesigned its multi-serve packaging. On a finished case goods basis, the new design uses 250 tons less packaging than the original.{{cite web |url=http://www.greenerpackage.com/source_reduction/sleek_new_crystal_light_container_offers_clear_advantages |title=New Crystal Light Container |publisher=Greenerpackage.com |access-date=March 13, 2011 |archive-date=July 11, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711124840/http://www.greenerpackage.com/source_reduction/sleek_new_crystal_light_container_offers_clear_advantages |url-status=dead }} In 2010, Crystal Light launched Pure Fitness, a "naturally-sweetened" low-calorie fitness drink mix{{cite web|url=http://www.beveragedaily.com/Formulation/Kraft-introduces-stevia-sweetened-fitness-drink |title=Kraft Introduces Stevia Sweetened Fitness Drink |date=12 April 2010 |website=BeverageDaily|author-first1=Sarah|author-last1=Hills|publisher=William Reed|access-date=March 13, 2011}} which is sweetened with sugar and Truvia, a sweetener derived from the stevia plant. It is currently sold in "On The Go" packets.{{cite web |url=http://www.kraftbrands.com/crystallight/Pages/default.aspx#/pure-flavors |title=Crystal Light - Refreshing Flavors, Pure Flavors and Enhanced Flavors |publisher=Kraftbrands.com |access-date=March 13, 2011 |archive-date=March 29, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110329011450/http://www.kraftbrands.com/crystallight/Pages/default.aspx#/pure-flavors |url-status=dead }} In 2011, Crystal Light Pure Fitness was renamed Crystal Light Pure, and three additional flavors were introduced. In April 2012, several Crystal Light varieties were added to the line of {{not a typo|sodamix}} syrups for SodaStream home soda makers.{{cite news|title=Kraft and SodaStream in deal for Kool-Aid|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2012/07/18/kraft-and-sodastream-in-deal-for-kool-aid/|access-date=30 July 2012|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|date=18 July 2012|agency=Reuters}}
Kraft Heinz, the parent company of Crystal Light, offers a product locator on its website to help locate flavors in a desired location. Crystal Light is sold in the U.S. and Canada.
Calories per serving have varied throughout the years; non-zero calorie flavors were once as low as 4 calories in 1990 and now, they may be as high as 15 in 2018, depending on flavor.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjySvHvaWgU|title=1990 Crystal Light commercial|website=www.youtube.com|date=26 November 2016 |access-date=2019-01-16}} However, it's not certain if the change is due to the use of new ingredients or if serving sizes have increased.
Some Crystal Light products, notably those designated as Crystal Light Energy, also contain an appreciable amount of added caffeine. The company has even experimented with displaying a prominent "with caffeine" tag below the product name on packaging. "Crystal Light products with Energy positioning contain added caffeine," according to Kraft Heinz. "Crystal Light Energy Wild Strawberry contains 60 mg caffeine per 8 fl oz serving". In fact, all Crystal Light Energy flavors contain this same amount of caffeine.See the Kraft Heinz comment at CaffeineInformer.com: https://www.caffeineinformer.com/caffeine-content/crystal-light-energy#:~:text=Flavors%20of%20Crystal%20Light&text=All%20flavors%20of%20Crystal%20Light,serving%20per%208%20fl%20oz. Certain other Crystal Light flavors have long included caffeine as an ingredient. The label of Crystal Light Peach Iced Tea, for instance, says that the flavor contains "25mg caffeine per serving," or about as much an eight-ounce (240 mL) cup of black tea.
Products
All product information is based on information and products offered by Crystal Light's official website, as of January 2019.{{Cite web|url=http://www.crystallight.com/|title=Crystal Light|website=www.crystallight.com|access-date=2019-01-16}}
= Classics =
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
- Berry Sangria (0 cal)
- Black Cherry Lime (0 cal)
- Blackberry Lemonade (0 cal)
- Blueberry Raspberry (0 cal)
- Cherry Pomegranate (15 cal)
- Concord Grape (15 cal)
- Fruit Punch (15 cal)
- Lemonade (15 cal)
- Mango Passionfruit (0 cal)
- Orange (15 cal)
- Pink Lemonade (15 cal)
- Pomegranate Lemonade (0 cal)
- Raspberry Ice (15 cal)
- Raspberry Lemonade (15 cal)
- Strawberry Kiwi (15 cal)
- Strawberry Lemonade (0 cal)
- Strawberry Orange Banana (15 cal)
- Strawberry Watermelon (15 cal)
- Sweet Tea
- Tropical Coconut (0 cal)
{{div col end}}
= Pure =
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
- Grape (5 cal)
- Lemon (5 cal)
- Lemon Iced Tea (5 cal)
- Mixed Berry Energy (15 cal)
- Peach Iced Tea (5 cal)
- Raspberry Lemonade (5 cal)
- Strawberry Kiwi (5 cal)
- Strawberry Lemonade Energy (15 cal)
- Tangerine Mango (5 cal)
- Tropical Blend (5 cal)
- Tropical Citrus Energy (15 cal)
{{div col end}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{official website}}
{{Kraft Foods Group}}
{{The Kraft_Heinz Company}}