We’ve talked about Dunkaroos, Lunchables, and Gushers (click to view those articles), but what ‘90s lunch was complete without a drink? And what ’90s lunch drink was more iconic than the foil pouch wonder that was Capri-Sun? Pacific Cooler, Fruit Punch, Strawberry Kiwi… no matter what your style, there was a flavor for you. Plus, was there anything more fun than opening up the straw and stabbing it into your personal pouch? No way! Or remember how after you finished the drink, you’d blow up and deflate the pouch over and over? Endless entertainment!
What you might not know about your favorite lunch drink is that Capri-Sun actually originates from Heidelberg, Germany. In 1931, Rudolf Wild created a company that specialized in supplying natural ingredients for food products, and in 1954 the name “Capri-Sonne” was first trademarked. Sonne means Sun in German, and Capri references the island in the Naples region of Italy. The company finally released the first two flavors of Capri-Sonne in 1969 — lemon and orange. And the distinctive pouch was there from the beginning, designed to be lightweight, portable, and durable, with a long shelf life sans the need for preservatives.
But wait, you say, if Capri-Sun has been around for so long, then why do I so associate it with the ‘90s in my head? Well, that’s likely a US thing. Though Muhammed Ali made some ads in international markets in 1979, Capri-Sun didn’t come to the US until 1982, and didn’t become the market leader in fruit drinks in the US until 1994. Lunchables also started including them in many of their packs in the mid-90s, so we’re talking some real synergy in the ‘90s, and that’s likely why we associate Capri-Sun so much with that era.
While Capri-Sun has always boasted that their drinks don’t contain artificial flavors or preservatives, there have been a few controversies over the years. Like, apparently if the pouch gets any kind of air hole, mold can develop and lead to a very unpleasant experience. So, in 2014 they updated the pouch to have a clear bottom so that you can see if there’s anything weird in your juice before stabbing in your straw. Damn, was mold a thing in the ‘90s? We here at Retropond have zero memories of that, thank goodness!
While the packaging certainly allows the drinks to be portable and long-lasting, it sadly is not very recyclable, despite seeming like it should be with that foil-looking exterior. The packages are made of plastic and aluminum, making them almost impossible to recycle unless you specifically send them to a special plant in New Jersey (but only about 2% actually end up there). Instead, the rest get dumped in landfills — that’s about 1.4 billion pouches, by the way (if you want a visual, that’s enough to wrap around the earth five times!). Capri-Sun does state on their website, though, that they are committed to creating fully recyclable packaging for their drinks by 2025.
Were you a Capri-Sun fan? Have you tried them again recently? Let us know in the comments! But first, check out this extremely ‘90s commercial for Capri-Sun, featuring not only rollerblading, but some serious Terminator 2-style special effects.
- When Capri-Sun debuted in the US in 1982, the drink pouch received the award for Packaging of the Year. Check out one of the first US commercials featuring a very catchy jingle — “There’s only one Capri-Sun!”
- In 2010, the European Space Agency used the design of the drink pouch to develop pouches that would be used by astronauts on the International Space Station.
- As of 2015, Capri-Sun was available in 119 countries, and was selling over 6 billion pouches per year.
- Capri-Sun is owned by Capri Sun Holding Group in Switzerland, which is a privately held company of Hans-Peter Wild (the son of founder Rudolf Wild), but is distributed by Kraft Heinz in the United States, and many other companies throughout the world.
- The company has committed to reducing sugar in their drinks, and has updated their original recipe to reduce sugar by 50% by using a mixture of sugar and stevia as the sweeteners.
- When Capri-Sun debuted in the US in 1982, the drink pouch received the award for Packaging of the Year. Check out one of the first US commercials featuring a very catchy jingle — “There’s only one Capri-Sun!”
- In 2010, the European Space Agency used the design of the drink pouch to develop pouches that would be used by astronauts on the International Space Station.
- As of 2015, Capri-Sun was available in 119 countries, and was selling over 6 billion pouches per year.
- Capri-Sun is owned by Capri Sun Holding Group in Switzerland, which is a privately held company of Hans-Peter Wild (the son of founder Rudolf Wild), but is distributed by Kraft Heinz in the United States, and many other companies throughout the world.
- The company has committed to reducing sugar in their drinks, and has updated their original recipe to reduce sugar by 50% by using a mixture of sugar and stevia as the sweeteners.
1 thought on “’90s Lunchbox Staple: Capri-Sun”
I remember that commercial! It wasn’t a reference to The Terminator, but to the Secret World of Alex Mack, a show on Nickelodeon which featured a teenager that could turn into that mercury-like substance. Who didn’t want liquid metal powers! The Capri Sun pouch still reminds me of that to this day!