Business
Top 10 Untold Truths of Capri Sun
When was the last time you enjoyed a Capri Sun? Have you started to sneak your kids own or have you done away with it altogether for a healthier, better option? You may be on the right track because the juice brand has a few skeletons in its closet that will make you want to look for a better option.
10. America’s Favorite Drink Isn’t Even American
That’s right, Capri Sun originated in Germany in 1969. It was called Capri Sonne after the Italian island. It made its way over to the United States in 1981 under the Kraft brand. The brand, of course, hit the ground running. Who is going to complain about a juice that is in an “environmentally friendly” pouch? Also, it was the new kid on the block so, everyone wanted a taste. Capri Sun quickly made a mark on the American we can assume this is because they brought new, exciting flavors to the market. To this day scandal and all, they have still had a tight grip on the American market. In Germany and the rest of Europe, this drink is a favorite and staple in kids lunch containers. It’s basically leading the box juice market and shows no signs of slowing down. While more and more competitors have made their mark, Capri Sun is still the leading brand. This could be because they didn’t have a mold scandal, they don’t use high fructose corn syrup and the “all natural” written on their juice pouches actually means all natural.
9. Those Environmentally Friendly Packages… Not So Friendly
Yikes, 2015 was a hard year for Capri Sun. In addition to a mold scandal, and a sugar scandal the company also got called out for their not so environmentally friendly pouches. According to the Huffington Post, the packaging is made with “multiple layers of plastic and aluminum that are very difficult to recycle”. They upset enough people that a coalition was started basically telling Kraft to clean up after themselves. The campaign was called “Make It, Take It”. They gave Kraft two options; pick up after yourselves or use packaging that is actually environmentally friendly as opposed to just telling people they are. The first option would have never worked out seeing as it would cost too much money. Think about it, Kraft would have to hire people to go around picking up Capri Sun packages. Or, they would have to provide cities with drop off sites where people could drop their packages in. The best option was to just make a package that was environmentally friendly. When reached out to, Kraft said that they have been working on better packaging for some time now and that they already implemented environmentally friendly cardboard boxes. We are now in 2018 and the packaging is still the same.
8. Flavors Around The World
As with almost everything else, America is the last to get the best, most exotic flavors of anything. This is no different when it comes to Capri Sun. there have been debates online about which flavor is the best some say Orange, others say grape, Surfer Cool and fruit punch. However, this is only because they have no clue what they are missing. Mango Passionfruit, Apple-Strawberry, Multivitamin, Summer Berries and that’s only in Africa. In other parts of the world like China, they have Blackcurrant, Pear, White Grape and Peach Apple. I mean, come on White Grape how can you not want to get on a plane just to try all the different flavors they have in Europe and beyond? In some parts of the world, they even have a reclosable pouch. Now, I haven’t had a Capri Sun in a while but this seems like a new and very useful concept. Whenever I couldn’t finish my Capri Sun I would have to either force myself or suck it (no pun intended) and throw the rest away. Not only was it wasteful but I would be thirsty like 20 minutes later and had to settle for a drink at the water fountain. Why does everyone do it better than us?
7. How Many Slogans?
Over the years in an effort to rebrand their product, the company has had a number of slogans. The three most popular being “The Taste Of Fun”, “Liquid Cool”, and “Respect The Pouch”. However, around the world, there have been a few slogans that didn’t make it out of the 80s and we like to think it’s for good reason. Like, “There’s Only One” we happen to think this slogan was way too close to the catchphrase that Highlander used. Another one was “Wholesome Fruit Juice For Kids” but that was proved wrong by all the mold issues and the lie they told about being all natural. It seems as though this company is constantly having to rebrand. We have to wonder what the original German creators think about the numerous American scandals that surround their once pure and wholesome juice. Capri Sun has been around too long to make basic branding mistakes to the point where they must rebrand them themselves. After over 50 years in the business, we would assume that they would have had a permanent slogan down by now. Even if they changed their logo there should still be at least one slogan that everyone can relate to. Let’s see what the next 50 years bring them.
6. Tried To Revive Their Good Standing
In 2015, Capri Sun tried to reclaim their good standing in the community after a few rough scandals. What do you think is the best way to do that? That’s right, team up with a cartoon-centered brand and leech off of their success. Capri sun teamed up with the minions from Despicable Me. Their partnership with Pixar, Illumination Entertainment, and Universal Pictures allowed them to use the likeness of the minions on all of their products. They even released a new flavor exclusive with the Minions stand alone film called BanApple. This flavor was described as “a very special taste experience” how can it not be with banana and apple mixed together. We assume it would taste odd. Then again, we will never know because the flavor never made it to the United States. It was rolled out in six European markets, this included Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. It will also launch in Jamaica under the revised name of Bapple. The pouches were also collectibles because who doesn’t want to keep a juice-stained pouch in their home (have you ever smelled rancid juice?). The 12-pack came with fun straws and refrigerator magnets. At least the magnets are something that can be used, those pouches just have pictures of minions on them. Regardless, the partnership was pretty successful for the brand.
5. Corn Syrup No More
In 2015, after a bit of scandalous and confusing behavior, Kraft was forced to change the way they make Capri Sun juice. For god knows how long, the company has been using high fructose corn syrup in the drinks to get that super sugary taste that makes kids bounce off the walls. Eventually, they had to change the use of corn syrup because come on, let’s be honest, corn syrup isn’t good for anyone especially a growing child. Instead, they just started using straight up sugar which, why weren’t they doing that before? Sugar isn’t the best substitute but at least it’s a natural process. This small change even dropped the calorie count from 60 to 50 calories per pouch. So why did Capri Sun make the change? In a statement, they said, “Moms and dads tell us they want to feel good about what they give their children to eat and drink, and that they’re increasingly interested in health and wellness.” Also, we can assume it had something to do with the fact that they needed to make a bigger and better come back after the while mold situation. They are right, parents don’t want to give their kids unhealthy things especially when the media does nothing but bombard us with the latest health crazes and diet tips.
4. All Natural Or Not?
I’m sure you can tell where this is going. It seems like everything Capri Sun says gets contradicted in a matter of years. The company announced in 2015 that they would be ditching their use of high fructose corn syrup. How progressive, right? This could have been a big step for the company only if they could just be honest about everything. You see, they had been down this road before. In 2007, the company slapped that coveted “all natural” label on their drink pouches and of course, they flew off the shelf. This supposed lie resulted in a lawsuit against the company. The group of people who sued the company alleged. “Though Capri Sun claims to be ‘All Natural,’ its main flavoring would more accurately be called ‘Fresh from the Factory. Let’s put it this way: Unless you and your chemist friends are prepared to undertake a little Manhattan Project in your kitchen, you won’t be brewing any high-fructose corn syrup from scratch anytime soon.” the lawsuit was successful and Capri Sun dropped the all-natural label from their pouch. They were eventually sued again soon after because their other “all natural” drink Fruit Refreshers was proven to not be all natural. It contained citric acid and well, there is nothing natural about that.
3. Organic? Who Cares?
The word organic is a buzzword. Put it in front of anything and you attract the attention of a bunch of people who most likely wouldn’t have looked at your product before. So, of course, Capri Sun jumped on board. In 2016, the company introduced their organic line of juices. People think they are doing the very best thing for their health by consuming anything that says organic. But truthfully, it doesn’t always mean healthy. Especially when it comes to Capri Sun. According to the Huffington Post, there is a significant difference in Capri Sun and organic Capri Sun. they compared the nutrition labels and surprise, surprise it wasn’t great. “The Tropical Punch flavor of Capri Sun Organic and original Capri Sun painted an interesting picture. At 50 calories per pouch, the original juice contains 15 milligrams of sodium, 14 grams total carbohydrates, and 13 grams of sugar. Capri Sun Organic, on the other hand, comes in at 70 calories per pouch, 20 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams total carbohydrates and 16 grams of sugar”. So that’s more calories, more sugar, more sodium, and more carbs. Where is the good in that again? If organic is supposed to be healthier, how is Capri Sun doing just the opposite of that? What’s next mold in that as well?
2. How Much Fungi?
It’s hard to say how much fungi we are comfortable being in our food. However, we can safely say that 5 is too many. We would like to point out that juice probably shouldn’t have fungi in it at all. But, we aren’t a scientist so, we don’t know how true that it. A research project conducted in 2013 had Capri Sun filtered through a vacuum just to see what would be left behind. To their surprise, they found five species of fungus. One of the researchers said that this amount of fungus was in the popular juice because they don’t add preservatives. Too many fungi were able to survive the juicing process. However, they did throw the product a bone but letting fans know that you may not die or get sick from consuming the mold. Researcher Kathleen Dannelly said. “The significance of this is that for the majority of people, other than being grossed out when you open a package and it has a large fungal mat, which is a really nasty looking thing, it will probably not hurt you,”. This is probably the best news possible for Capri Sun. at least they know that their moldy drinks have a low chance of hurting anyone, well, seriously at least. We can only imagine that over time this will become an issue.
1. The Moldy Truth
Back in 2012, a parent claimed they found mold in their child’s Capri Sun drink pouch. Initially, the brand never responded. Probably chalk it up to someone trying to pull a get rich quick scheme. Unfortunately, for the juice company, that was not the case. In fact, after the initial claim, more parents began to come forward with complaints. Supposedly, mold was floating in the bottom of their children’s drink. Or worse, their kid sucking that sticky, gooey, furry mold into their bellies. How could they possibly come out from under this? Well, the company claimed that this is nothing but an “extremely rare” occurrence. But of course, to combat the mold problem, the company implemented this “really cool” and not at all related to the mold scandal of a clear bottom pouch. They also reminded consumers that their products are all natural. Also basically said without saying it that this is the price one pays for an all natural product. “Since our Capri Sun products are made without preservatives. A fact many moms like. If there’s even a small hole in a pouch and air gets into it, mold similar to common bread mold can form. This is why we advise on the side of the box to discard any leaking pouches.” keep in mind, no one reported a leaking pouch, just mold in their drinks. Kraft is trying to right as many wrongs as they possibly can. But, knowing what you know now, is it too late for them. Or, will you still be partaking in a sugary sip of your favorite playground pouch juice?