Otter Pops
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Otter Pops are a brand of ice-pops—a packaged, frozen dessert—sold in the United States. The product consists of a clear plastic tube filled with a fruit-flavored liquid. Some varieties claim to contain 100% fruit juice. Otter Pops are a frozen treat, but stores generally sell them at room temperature and the consumer puts them in the freezer.
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Background[edit]
National Pax introduced Otter Pops in 1970, in competition with Jel Sert's similar product, Fla-Vor-Ice. In 1996, Jel Sert acquired the rights to Otter Pops as well.[citation needed] During the 2000s, Jel Sert modified the Otter Pops recipe to add more fruit juice.[citation needed] The new formula has three grams of sugar and 15 calories per one-ounce serving. Current Otter Pops contain 40 calories per 2 oz. serving (one pop).[citation needed] The company's manufacturing facilities are in West Chicago, Illinois.[1] Otter Pops come in 1-, 2- and 5.5-ounce serving sizes. They also come in 6 flavors, each named after a different character:[2]
- Blue (blue raspberry): Louie-Bloo Raspberry
- Pink (tropical punch): Poncho Punch (replaced Rip Van Lemon)
- Yellow (lemon): Rip Van Lemon (discontinued in the late 1970s)
- Green (lemon-lime): Sir Isaac Lime
- Red (strawberry): Strawberry Short Kook
- Purple (grape): Alexander the Grape
- Orange (orange): Little Orphan Orange
Sir Isaac Lime protest[edit]
In 1995, National Pax had planned to replace the "Sir Isaac Lime" flavor with "Scarlett O'Cherry", until a group of Orange County, California fourth-graders created a petition in opposition and picketed the company's headquarters in early 1996. The crusade also included an e-mail campaign, in which a Stanford University professor reportedly accused the company of "Otter-cide". After meeting with the children, company executives relented and retained the Sir Isaac Lime flavor.[3]
Other uses[edit]
Over the generations, other uses of Otter Pops have been devised and shared in the US. They can be used as a colorful substitute for ice in a punch bowl. They can also be used to flavor mixed drinks.[4]
