Choglit - no, not the name the European Commission wants producers of non cocoa-butter chocolate to adopt but the name of a new drinks brand produced jointly by Coca-Cola and Nestle and launched in the US earlier this month.
The drink, which is sold under the Nestle brand, is the first dairy-based drink produced by the Atlanta-based soft drinks giant, and it is being marketed firmly as a nutritional beverage.
Coke said the drink was made with 16 per cent skimmed milk and offered 10 per cent of the recommended daily intake (RDI) of calcium, vitamin A and vitamin D per eight fluid ounce serving. Coca-Cola has been criticised in the past for the less-than-healthy quality of some of its drinks, especially those which are widely available in schools, and clearly wanted to redress the balance with a healthier option.
"The dairy category offers significant opportunity to broaden our beverage portfolio and create a new beverage experience for consumers," said Everett Darby, vice president in charge of new products and packaging innovation at Coca-Cola North America.
"By partnering with Nestle, a company known for delicious chocolate of the highest quality, we have developed a smooth, chocolatey drink that consumers love and that provides a great entry for us into this growing category."
Nestle Choglit will launch initially in the northeast and southeast regions of the United States in an 11-ounce can, with a 15-ounce bottle due to follow later in the year. The company did not say when the drink would be available in international markets.