Tang (drink mix) facts for kids
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| Type | Artificially flavored drink mix |
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| Owner | Mondelēz International (except North America) Kraft Heinz (North America) |
| Introduced | 1957 |
| Markets | Worldwide |
| Previous owners | General Foods Kraft Foods Inc. |
Tang is a popular American drink mix that comes in a powder. It was created in 1957 by two food scientists, William A. Mitchell and William Bruce James, who worked for General Foods Corporation. Tang first appeared in stores in 1959.
Today, most of the world's Tang is owned by a company called Mondelēz International. However, in North America, the brand is owned by Kraft Heinz. Tang became very famous after NASA astronauts started drinking it in space.
Contents
The Story of Tang
Tang was invented in 1957 and first sold to the public in 1959. It didn't sell very well at first.
Tang and Space Exploration
Everything changed for Tang in 1962. That's when NASA astronaut John Glenn took Tang with him on his Mercury space flight. He was doing experiments to see what it was like to eat in space. Tang was chosen for his menu.
After that, Tang was used on other space missions, like the Gemini flights. It was also carried on many Space Shuttle missions. Because of this, many people thought Tang was invented just for astronauts, but it was actually made before the space program started. Even today, Tang is still used on NASA missions!
Interestingly, not all astronauts loved it. In 2013, former NASA astronaut Buzz Aldrin said he didn't like Tang. He mentioned that on his Apollo 11 mission, they chose a different orange drink instead of Tang.
Who Invented Tang?
The main inventor of Tang, William A. Mitchell, also created other well-known foods. These include Pop Rocks candy, Cool Whip, and a type of instant Jell-O. William Bruce James, the chemist who helped create Tang, also invented several Jell-O flavors.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, Tang commercials often featured a fun orangutan as their mascot.
What's in Tang?
Tang is sold as a powder or a liquid that you mix with water. A typical serving of Tang powder is about two tablespoons, or 31 grams. You mix this with about 8 ounces (240 ml) of water.
A single serving of Tang has about 29 grams of sugar. This means sugar makes up most of the powder! It also gives you 100% of your daily vitamin C and vitamin E. It has some calcium too. One serving contains about 120 calories.
Different Kinds of Tang
Over the years, Kraft, the company that used to own Tang, made some changes. In 2007, they introduced a new version that had less sugar. They replaced half the sugar with artificial sweeteners. The packaging for this version says "1/2 the sugar of 100% juice."
This newer formula is more concentrated. This means you need less powder to make the same amount of drink. While orange is the most popular flavor, Tang comes in many other flavors around the world. These include grape, lemon, mango, and pineapple.
Tang Around the World
Tang is sold in about 35 different countries. The flavors you find can be different depending on where you are. The top three countries where Tang sells the most are Brazil, Argentina, and the Philippines.
In the Middle East, a lot of Tang is sold during the six weeks around Ramadan. This is a special time for many people.
In 2011, Tang became a "billion-dollar brand" for Kraft Foods. This means its global sales were nearly double what they were in 2006. However, in some developed countries, people are choosing drinks with fewer calories. This has caused Tang's sales to slow down or even drop in those areas. For example, in 2018, sales dropped in the Philippines after a tax was put on sugary drinks.
See also
In Spanish: Tang (bebida) para niños
