Brydon Sundgren took part in our blind tasting on the streets of Auckland.
Brydon Sundgren took part in our blind tasting on the streets of Auckland.
Milo masters can immediately taste the difference between the new and old recipe, but for the casual drinker the two taste pretty similar - some even prefer the new one.
A change to Milo's recipe revealed over the weekend caused outrage among fans of the chocolatey drink, who said it now tasted "gross and disgusting".
A new recipe for the Milo chocolate drink is not going down well with some customers. Photo / Facebook
Nestle said it had removed vitamin A, B1 and magnesium, and added vitamin D, B3, B6, and B12, to "help active kids, and adults, perform at their best".
In response to the controversial changes, the NZ Herald hit downtown Auckland equipped with both recipes for a blind tasting, mixed according to the directions on the packet, with full cream milk.
The blind tasting served up mixed results - just under half of those we asked were able to identify the new Milo. Those who could spot the difference claimed to be regular Milo drinkers at some stage in their life. They all preferred the original.
"That's like, really different," said 39-year-old Ismay Johnston after tasting the new recipe.
"Oh, they're naughty."
Ms Johnston drank Milo every morning while pregnant and could spot the difference straight away.
"I wouldn't taste (the new flavour) and say that's Milo."
The Clevedon mother-of-three said she "couldn't believe" Nestle would tamper with such a tried and true formula.
"Kiwi kids are brought up on Milo, it would be like if they changed the Marmite recipe."
Ismay Johnston.
Ms Johnston's husband, Nick McCaw, 37, said he drank a hot cup of Milo most evenings and the new flavour was far less chocolatey and "less like Milo". He wasn't happy about the changes.
"We're talking about the drink we all grew up on, you can't go changing that s***."
Dean Desouza, 23, from Titirangi, said he drank Milo all the time as a kid and could spot the difference right away.
"That one (the new one) tasted like a watered down version of the old one.
"You go from five-years-old drinking Milo every day till you're 13 and you stop, but that [taste] stays with you for life."
In a surprising twist, those who guessed wrong all preferred the new flavour, describing it as "creamier and more chocolatey".
But Nestle spokeswoman Margaret Stuart said there were no plans to change the formula despite the protest.
What the people said
Here Kairua and Karima McGaw.
Here Kairua, 41, Auckland. Described Milo as "a real treat" and only let her kids drink it sometimes. She couldn't tell the difference but preferred the new recipe. "This is milkier and creamier, this one is nicer, definitely."
Karima McGaw, 11, Auckland. Only drank Milo sometimes and couldn't tell the difference. "The second one (new one) is better, it tastes creamier, it's more chocolatey."
Brydon Sundgren.
Brydon Sundgren, 20, Auckland. Occasionally drank Milo because he didn't drink coffee or tea. He guessed the new flavour was the old flavour . "[This] one tastes more like the original one, it has a stronger, more chocolatey flavor." He was surprised to learn he'd guessed wrong. "Maybe I should stick to the new one and not worry about stocking up on the old one".
Victor Roser.
Victor Roser, 25, Germany. Never tried Milo before. He said the original was "okay, a bit too sweet but it's good." He preferred the new Milo, saying "the flavor and aroma tastes more like cacao".
Moritz Sippel.
Moritz Sippel, 20, Germany. Tried Milo twice before. He preferred the new one: "That's more bold chocolate".
Chandi Presad, 39, Auckland. Drank Milo sometimes and guessed right. "I think this one (the old one) is the better one, it's a bit sweeter."
Dean Desouza.
Dean Desouza, 23, Titirangi. Drank Milo all the time as a kid and could tell the difference right away, preferring the original. "That one (the new one) tasted like a watered down version of [the old one]. You go from five-years-old drinking Milo every day till you're 13 and you stop, but that [taste] stays with you for life."
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