Otter Pops facts for kids
Otter Pops are super cool frozen treats you can find in the United States. They come in clear plastic tubes filled with yummy fruit-flavored liquid. Otter Pops were one of the first brands to make these fun frozen desserts! Some Otter Pops even have 100% fruit juice, often apple juice. These special ones are clear because they don't use any artificial colors. You buy Otter Pops unfrozen, then take them home to pop them in your freezer until they're perfectly icy and ready to enjoy!
How Otter Pops Started
Otter Pops first appeared in 1970, created by a company called National Pax. They were competing with another popular frozen treat called Fla-Vor-Ice. Later, around 1990, a company called Merrytime Products Inc. made Otter Pops. Then, in 1996, the company that made Fla-Vor-Ice, Jel Sert, bought Otter Pops too! In the 2000s, Jel Sert changed the recipe to add even more real fruit juice to Otter Pops. Today, Otter Pops are made in West Chicago, Illinois.
You can find Otter Pops in different sizes and lots of exciting flavors. Each flavor has its own fun character name:
- Blue (blue raspberry): Louie-Bloo Raspberry
- Red (strawberry): Strawberry Short Kook
- Pink (fruit punch): Poncho Punch
- Green (lime): Sir Isaac Lime
- Purple (grape): Alexander the Grape
- Orange (orange): Little Orphan Orange
- Gold (mango): Major Mango
- Yellow (pineapple): DJ Tropicool
- White (coconut): Cosmic Coconut
- Cyan (tropical punch): Anita Fruit Punch
The Sir Isaac Lime Protest
Back in 1995, the company National Pax planned to remove the "Sir Isaac Lime" flavor. They wanted to replace it with a new "Scarlett O'Cherry" flavor. A fourth-grade student in Costa Mesa, California found out about this change online. He decided to do something about it!
The student organized a petition and even a small protest with his cousins. Even a professor from Stanford University supported them, calling the change "Otter-cide." The company said the change was final, but the protest went on, even in the rain! The CEO of the company heard about the protest and decided to keep Sir Isaac Lime, even though it was the least popular flavor. The fourth-grader who started it all even appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to talk about his success!
Other Fun Uses
Over the years, people have found many creative ways to use Otter Pops. You can use them as colorful ice cubes in a punch bowl for a party. They can also add a fun fruity flavor to other drinks.
See also
- Pop (frozen snack)
- Fla-Vor-Ice
- List of frozen dessert brands
External links
- Official Otter Pops website: http://www.otterpops.com/
de:Wassereis (Lebensmittel)
