Flav-R-Straws

 ( Products Introduced In 1956 ) 

Flav-R-Straws were a form of drinking straw with a flavoring included, designed to make drinking milk more pleasant for children. They were first marketed in the United States in 1956 by Flav-R-Straws Inc. Journal of the Albert Einstein Medical Center, Philadelphia, Volumes 5-6, p. 275, (1956) Milk plant monthly, Volume 45, p. 68 (1956), quote: "New Flavored Straws For Use in Milk Drinks ... A new type of straw with built-in flavor for use with milk drinks has been introduced by Flav-R Straws, Inc." The product became highly successful."CHOCOLATE STRAW FINDS BIG MARKET; Sales Up Sharply for Product That Gives Flavor to Milk Sucked Through It", by Joseph W. Dunn, New York Times August 19, 1956, Business & Finance section, page 139 They were widely promoted through an advertising campaign that included double-page advertisements in LIFE magazine.29 Jul 1957 edition of LIFE magazine Wednesday, 19 September 2018 In the 1956 movie Beyond a Reasonable Doubt, an ad for "Flav-r Straws" makes a brief but conspicuous appearance on a brick wall, behind the actors, almost half-way into the film.

Flav-R-Straws were withdrawn from the market in 1961 due to their relatively high cost compared with Nestlé Quik and other relatively low-cost milk additives such as Bosco Chocolate Syrup and Hershey's Chocolate Syrup. In recent years, newer variations of the original idea have been resurrected in forms such as , and Milk Magic Straws that contain hundreds of flavored pellets encased within a stiff plastic straw.