I received a free sample of Mio Liquid Water Enhancer, from Kraft Foods Global, and see commercials for it all the time. What exactly is it?
What is Mio?
Mio is a new product that will add a burst of flavor and color to your water. According to the Mio Facebook page, “MiO makes water more exciting. And you a more revolutionary water drinker. Add a little (or a lot) to make your drink yours. Whenever. However.” The Kraft Mio website goes on to say “MiO was created to abolish the anguish and boredom of passive beverage drinking. Because, you know, stuff is better when it’s yours. Why, then, do people settle for one-size-fits-all drinks? … MiO liquid water enhancer lets you make … drinks however you want. Simply add as much or as little MiO as you wish and create your dream beverage… our mission is to expand the horizons of the young and thirsty. To redefine what a drink can be. To make sweet drinkable art in pretty colors.”
The price for a standard package of 1.62 fluid ounces (48 mL, which will prepare about 24 servings) is typically between $3.79 and $4.99. On Amazon.com it sells for about $4.29. Note: according to the Kraft Mio website it’s suggested retail price is about $3.99 each.
Mio can be used to make flavored ice cubes if you’d like, but it’s not recommended to freeze the MiO container as it may become damaged and possibly leak. MiO is highly concentrated and should be diluted rather than drinking straight from the package.
Ingredients and Available Flavors
Mio Fruit Punch Liquid Water Enhancer contains no fruit juice. The ingredients are: water, malic acid, propylene glycol, citric acid, and less than 2% of natural flavor, sucralose and acesulfame potassium (sweeteners), potassium citrate, red 40, potassium sorbate (preservative). The website claims this product is free of artificial flavors.
Available flavors right now include Fruit Punch, Berry Pomegranate, Mango Peach, Peach Tea, Sweet Tea, and Strawberry Watermelon. They are exploring new flavor options as this article is being written. MiO contains no caffeine, even the tea varieties.
What I Liked and Disliked
The flavor of the fruit punch sample I received was really good. It was sweet with just the right mix of fruits blended together. I liked also that I can make the drink more or less flavorful according to my personal tastes. It’s easy to squeeze another squirt of Mio into my glass if I didn’t add enough the first time. With those packets of other “water enhancers” you can customize your drinks by not using the whole packet or using more than one packet, but it gets messy when an open packet falls over or if you open it wrong and powder flies everywhere. In my opinion, Mio is much easier to use and I think potentially cleaner as well in some aspects.
I like that Mio comes in a small package that can make about 24 drinks and doesn’t need to be refrigerated, so it can be stored in a cabinet or shelf or even in the car if you want. I also like the fact that it has no fat, calories, or sodium. The container is recyclable.
Some things I dislike is that there are no nutritional benefits. Not that it necessarily needs added vitamins, but it seems a bit pointless for me to add something to my water for no reason other than to flavor it. Why don’t I just drink some Kool-Aid or something then? I love drinking water and fruit juice, so Mio isn’t really something I would purchase. I did enjoy using the free sample, but it will never be on my grocery list.
Also, there is a lot of dye in this product. I know dye makes things more appealing, but for those concerned with artificial ingredients, dyes are some of the top concerns. Also, with the strong color this product produces, it makes cleaning spills very difficult. I am concerned with all the artificial ingredients and preservatives this product contains. If I am trying to drink more water to improve my health, why would I want to add all these artificial ingredients?
To summarize my views, the best things about Mio are the flavor and convenience. What I like least about Mio is probably the artificial ingredients.
Sources
personal opinion and experience
Mio Facebook page
Kraft Mio website