In the 1970s, the South Korean government wanted to encourage citizens to drink more milk. In response, because bananas were then considered a luxury in South Korea, Binggrae created Banana Flavored Milk, believing consumers would purchase the milk to taste the fruit. The company chose to sell its milk in
polystyrene bottles to differentiate it from the glass bottles and plastic packages that were prevalent as milk containers in the 1970s. The bottle's design was inspired by traditional
Korean moon jars, with an overhanging lip to prevent the milk from dripping onto the drinker's face. By 2012, annual sales of Banana Flavored Milk totaled 10 billion
South Korean won. The
United States was the first international market to receive Banana Flavored Milk. The product was subsequently exported to other countries, including mainland
China and
Hong Kong,
Taiwan,
Japan,
Canada,
New Zealand,
Thailand,
Malaysia,
Vietnam, and
Cambodia. This expansion helped increase annual sales of the product from 700 million Korean won in 2010 to 15 billion Korean won in 2013. In June 2024, the product ranked third on
Amazon's list of best-selling flavored milk products. ==See also==