Sick of being sick all the time as a school teacher of young kids, Victoria Knight-McDowell began making herbal and vitamin supplements and selling them to local drug stores in the early 1990s. Later, Knight-McDowell contracted cartoonist Lloyd Dangle to create Airborne’s brand and packaging. In 1997, specialty grocery chain Trader Joe’s ordered 300 cases of Airborne tablets to sell, and by 1999 other larger chains began stocking Airborne.
I know many people who use Airborne for reducing the risk of colds and infections when flying on airplanes or smashed into close quarters with a lot of people. Most of them do not realize Airbourne contains aspartame.
When Was Aspartame Added?
I do not know when aspartame was added to Airborne, but in October 2009, Airborne was purchased by GF Capital Management and Advisors, LLC – a New York City-based private equity firm. In March 2012, Schiff Nutrition acquired Airborne, Inc.
Was aspartame in Airborne when it was first formulated in the early 1990s, or was it added after it sold?
We need to ask Victoria Knight-McDowell, but I suspect it was added sometime between 2009 and 2012.
According to Schiff’s website, Airborne products contain a combination of key immune supporting vitamins and minerals plus a proprietary blend of natural herbs. A big banner at the bottom states: “Airborne contains no preservatives and is gluten free.”
The aspartame label on Airborne’s ingredient list is very hard to find. I found NO PKU WARNING on the box, and saw nothing stating that Airborne is sugar-free.
This is what I found on drugstore.com:
Product Details:
Taken at the first sign of a cold symptom or before entering crowded places like airplanes and offices, Airborne contains 17 active ingredients, a delicious natural orange flavor, and is clinically proven to fight the common cold. Airborne is proud of the fact that we import no powdered herbs. To ensure safety, purity and potency, we do our herbal extracting in America using whole plant material.
Other Ingredients: Citric Acid, Sorbitol, Sodium Bicarbonate, Natural Orange Flavor, Polyethylene Glycol, Aspartame, Mineral & Canola Oil, Riboflavin.No artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.
No artificial flavors or preservatives? So what’s aspartame, then????
