Crystal Light

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title: "Crystal Light" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["american-soft-drink-brands", "kraft-foods-brands", "non-alcoholic-drinks", "powdered-drink-mixes", "products-introduced-in-1982"] description: "Line of powdered beverage mixes produced by Kraft Foods" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crystal_Light" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Line of powdered beverage mixes produced by Kraft Foods ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox brand"]

Field	Value
name	Crystal Light
logo	Crystal light logo.png
logo_size	150
image	Crystal Light lemonade.jpg
image_size	150
caption	Glass of Crystal light lemonade
producttype	Drink mix
currentowner	Kraft Heinz
country	U.S.
introduced
website
module
module1
::

| name = Crystal Light | logo = Crystal light logo.png | logo_size = 150 | image = Crystal Light lemonade.jpg | image_size = 150 | caption = Glass of Crystal light lemonade | producttype = Drink mix | currentowner = Kraft Heinz | producedby = | country = U.S. | introduced = | discontinued = | related = | markets = | previousowners = | trademarkregistrations = | ambassadors = | tagline = | website = | module = | module1 = | footnotes = Crystal Light is an American brand of powdered and artificially sweetened beverage mixes produced by Kraft Heinz. It was introduced in 1982 to a test market and released to the public in April 1984. General Foods, a now defunct company, were the original sellers of the product, but now it is sold by Kraft Foods. It is available in a wide variety of flavors, such as lemonade, sweet tea, and fruit punch.

History

Test marketing and introduction

Crystal Light was sold in test markets beginning in 1982. As of mid-1983, it was being sold in 11 test areas. It was introduced throughout the United States in April 1984. General Foods sold $150 million of Crystal Light during the product's first year on national markets, representing 20% of all powdered drink mixes and 2/3 of all sugar-free drink mixes in the United States.

Advertisements

In the 1980s, ads for the product featured Linda Evans (who also featured in print ads for the product), Priscilla Presley, and Raquel Welch.

Ingredients

Crystal Light is sweetened with a combination of aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, and/or sugar depending on the specific product line and flavor. First packaged in multi-serve canisters, Crystal Light launched single-serve "On The Go" packets in 2004. In 2009, Crystal Light redesigned its multi-serve packaging. On a finished case goods basis, the new design uses 250 tons less packaging than the original. In 2010, Crystal Light launched Pure Fitness, a "naturally-sweetened" low-calorie fitness drink mix which is sweetened with sugar and Truvia, a sweetener derived from the stevia plant. It is currently sold in "On The Go" packets. In 2011, Crystal Light Pure Fitness was renamed Crystal Light Pure, and three additional flavors were introduced. In April 2012, several Crystal Light varieties were added to the line of sodamix syrups for SodaStream home soda makers.

Kraft Heinz, the parent company of Crystal Light, offers a product locator on its website to help locate flavors in a desired location. Crystal Light is sold in the U.S. and Canada.

Calories per serving have varied throughout the years; non-zero calorie flavors were once as low as 4 calories in 1990 and now, they may be as high as 15 in 2018, depending on flavor. However, it's not certain if the change is due to the use of new ingredients or if serving sizes have increased.

Some Crystal Light products, notably those designated as Crystal Light Energy, also contain an appreciable amount of added caffeine. The company has even experimented with displaying a prominent "with caffeine" tag below the product name on packaging. "Crystal Light products with Energy positioning contain added caffeine," according to Kraft Heinz. "Crystal Light Energy Wild Strawberry contains 60 mg caffeine per 8 fl oz serving". In fact, all Crystal Light Energy flavors contain this same amount of caffeine. Certain other Crystal Light flavors have long included caffeine as an ingredient. The label of Crystal Light Peach Iced Tea, for instance, says that the flavor contains "25mg caffeine per serving," or about as much an eight-ounce (240 mL) cup of black tea.

Products

All product information is based on information and products offered by Crystal Light's official website, as of January 2019.

Classics

• Berry Sangria (0 cal)
• Black Cherry Lime (0 cal)
• Blackberry Lemonade (0 cal)
• Blueberry Raspberry (0 cal)
• Caribbean Cooler (0 cal)
• Cherry Pomegranate (15 cal)
• Concord Grape (15 cal)
• Fruit Punch (15 cal)
• Lemonade (15 cal)
• Mango Passionfruit (0 cal)
• Orange (15 cal)
• Pink Lemonade (15 cal)
• Pomegranate Lemonade (0 cal)
• Raspberry Ice (15 cal)
• Raspberry Lemonade (15 cal)
• Strawberry Kiwi (15 cal)
• Strawberry Lemonade (0 cal)
• Strawberry Orange Banana (15 cal)
• Strawberry Watermelon (15 cal)
• Sweet Tea
• Tropical Coconut (0 cal)

Pure

• Grape (5 cal)
• Lemon (5 cal)
• Lemon Iced Tea (5 cal)
• Mixed Berry Energy (15 cal)
• Peach Iced Tea (5 cal)
• Raspberry Lemonade (5 cal)
• Strawberry Kiwi (5 cal)
• Strawberry Lemonade Energy (15 cal)
• Tangerine Mango (5 cal)
• Tropical Blend (5 cal)
• Tropical Citrus Energy (15 cal)

References

References

1. Lazarus, George. (May 7, 1982). "GF, Wyler betting sugar free worth cost". Chicago Tribune.
2. Dean, Susan L.. (July 7, 1982). "Sugar substitute holds promise". Green Bay Press-Gazette.
3. (1982). "Processed Prepared Food". Gorman Publishing Company.
4. Cook, Winifred I.. (1983-05-31). "Aspartame is being used". The Central New Jersey Home News.
5. (1984). "Beverage World Periscope". Beverage World Periscope.
6. Austin, Joanne. (November 1985). "The Crystal Light persuasion". Madison Avenue.
7. (14 August 2014). "1985 Crystal Light commercial featuring Linda Evans".
8. (6 March 2008). "Undated Crystal Light commercial featuring Linda Evans".
9. (20 December 2013). "Late 1980s Crystal Light commercial featuring Linda Evans".
10. (25 April 2011). "1986 Crystal Light Commercial featuring Priscilla Presley".
11. (4 July 2008). "1987 Crystal Light commercial featuring Raquel Welch".
12. The packaging of Crystal Light, ingredients list.
13. "New Crystal Light Container". Greenerpackage.com.
14. (12 April 2010). "Kraft Introduces Stevia Sweetened Fitness Drink". William Reed.
15. "Crystal Light - Refreshing Flavors, Pure Flavors and Enhanced Flavors". Kraftbrands.com.
16. (18 July 2012). "Kraft and SodaStream in deal for Kool-Aid". [[Chicago Tribune]].
17. (26 November 2016). "1990 Crystal Light commercial".
18. See the Kraft Heinz comment at CaffeineInformer.com: https://www.caffeineinformer.com/caffeine-content/crystal-light-energy#:~:text=Flavors%20of%20Crystal%20Light&text=All%20flavors%20of%20Crystal%20Light,serving%20per%208%20fl%20oz.
19. "Crystal Light".
20. "Crystal Light".
21. "Crystal Light".

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