Akta-Vite
Akta-Vite is a brand of chocolate flavouring for milk or plant milk. As it does not itself contain milk products, it is lactose-free and suitable for people who are lactose intolerant or avoiding dairy products for other reasons. It was created in 1943 by George Nicholas in Chadstone, a suburb of Melbourne, and initially marketed as a nutritional supplement available only in pharmacies. It is owned and manufactured by the Nicholas family through Nicholas Health and Nutrition Pty Ltd.[1]
In 2023, Reddit users have complained of not being able to purchase Akta-Vite in stores.[2] One user posted an email from the manufacturer claiming "...all production for Aktavite has ceased indefinitely...".[3]
History
Alfred Nicholas and his brother George Nicholas became wealthy by producing Australian-made aspirin sold as Aspro after Bayer lost their Australian patent during the First World War. This wealth enabled them to diversify into nutritional supplements, including Akta-Vite.[4] Many nutrients were not readily available in synthetic form in the 1940s, with natural ingredients including vitamin A from shark livers.[1] Akta-Vite was exported to Southeast Asia in the 1950s, and became a well-known brand in Thailand.[5]
The brand was sold to the Sara Lee Corporation in 1984, and bought back by the Nicholas family in 2016.[1]
References
- "Akta-Vite Returns to its Original Owners". The Australia Times. 27 April 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
- https://www.reddit.com/r/australia/comments/14lgtaj/anyone_know_whats_happening_with_aktavite/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
- https://www.reddit.com/r/australia/comments/16o9wpa/aktavite_no_longer_in_production/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
- Moncrief, Marc (2 May 2016). "Shake up looms for Akta-Vite after family firm buys back Aussie icon". The Age. Retrieved 1 January 2019.
- Battersby, Paul (2007). To the Islands: White Australia and the Malay Archipelago since 1788. Lexington Books. p. 180. ISBN 9780739161784. Retrieved 1 January 2019.