A boost for Mead Johnson?

• Author: Keaton, Joanne
• Position: Mead Johnson Nutritional Group's Boost lifestyle drink line - Briefs

No time for a meal?

Before you reach for that candy bar or decide to go hungry, give yourself a Boost.

That is, try the new balance meal in a can by Evansville's Mead Johnson Nutritional Group.

Other liquid nutritional products are aimed at people who want to lose weight, athletes looking for a performance boost or those with health problems. Boost is designed for the rest of us--healthy folks who want a decent, easy meal or a good-for-you snack.

Putting essential food elements in a can was the easy part; giving them palate appeal was Mead Johnson's main challenge. Dennis Gage, director of product development, says, "We know what good nutrition is and can write it down, but it tastes like the paper it's written on."

Today it's popular to talk about eating healthfully, but often the words are only talk. As Gage says, "People won't change their taste standards, no matter what they say."

To get rid of what Gage dubs "wet dog flavor," his crew had to perfect the flavor of the base. Boost's base allows them to "do wonderful things with flavor." Boost comes in chocolate, mocha, vanilla and strawberry, with a texture similar to that of 2 percent milk. Texture is important: Tongue and nose reactions complete the flavor experience.

Yet another challenge for Mead Johnson is convincing consumers that Boost can be good for you and have an excellent taste. Gage cites the case of a popular mouthwash that tastes awful; however, people are convinced that it works.

Complete milk protein--without the lactose that many people can't tolerate--is Boost's base. An 8-ounce can has 240 calories and contains about a quarter of a day's ideal Daily Value of vitamins and minerals. (Daily Value is a term replacing...