Household Ingredients Compared › Malted Chocolate Drinks (Singapore)

Malted chocolate drinks: what's actually in it?

Three different products share the malted-drink shelf. A malted chocolate drink powder (Milo, Ovaltine, Horlicks Chocolate) is a powder you mix with hot water or milk — malt extract, milk powder, cocoa and sugar, plus added vitamins and minerals. A malted milk powder (Horlicks Original, Ovaltine Malted Milk) has malt and milk but little or no cocoa — it is a malt drink, not a chocolate drink, and it is panelled here as a related product so shoppers can see the difference. And a ready-to-drink (RTD) malted drink (Milo UHT packet, Milo Peng bottle, Milo can, Ovaltine packet drink) is the same idea already mixed and packed — a separate row from the powder, because its list is different.

This page covers malted chocolate drink powders and ready-to-drink malted drinks sold in Singapore. Plain hot chocolate / cocoa powder with no malt is not covered here — that is a separate page — although a plain cocoa powder sold in Singapore is noted in the out-of-scope section below so it is not mistaken for a missing malted row. Milo breakfast cereal and Milo Energy Cubes are also out of scope: they are a cereal and a confectionery, not drinks. This page does not give a health score or a "best" pick.

The headline, in 30 seconds

Sugar is high up every list. In Milo Regular powder sugar is 3rd; in Milo 3-in-1 and in the Ovaltine packet drink it is 1st; in Horlicks Chocolate it is 2nd. The one exception is the order of the first two ingredients, not the presence of sugar.
Milo powder and Milo 3-in-1 are not the same list. Regular Milo powder starts with Protomalt malt extract, then skimmed milk, then sugar — and has no added creamer. Milo 3-in-1 starts with sugar, then Protomalt, and adds palm oil, hydrogenated palm kernel oil, tapioca dextrin, sodium caseinate and a long emulsifier/stabiliser tail (INS 471, 472e and others) so it dissolves in water alone.
Horlicks Original is a malted milk, not a chocolate drink. Its list starts with wheat flour and malted barley, then dried whey and sugar — no cocoa at all. Horlicks Chocolate is a different product with a different list: cereal extract first, then sugar, maltodextrin, skimmed milk powder (10%) and a non-dairy creamer, with cocoa powder further down.
The RTD lists on FairPrice look like powder lists. The Milo UHT packet drink and the Ovaltine packet drink ingredient sections as published by FairPrice list sugar / skimmed milk powder / malt extract first, with no water listed at all. A ready-to-drink milk drink should list water or milk first — so these sections look like the powder-base list reused on the RTD listing, not a full RTD list. Both rows are panelled as published, flagged, and need a pack photo to settle.
The Milo can is the only RTD with a proper liquid-first list and full nutrition. Milo Original Activ-Go 240ml (Singapore distributor listing) starts with skimmed milk, then malt extract, sugar and cocoa, and gives nutrition per can: 16.6g total sugars, of which 12.0g is added sugar and 4.6g is lactose.
"Less sugar" variants are seen but not verified. Milo Gao Siew Dai, Milo 3-in-1 Less Sugar and Milo UHT Less Sugar are all on sale in Singapore, but no full verbatim list was retrievable for any of them in this pass — the Shopee listing for Gao Siew Dai truncates mid-list at "Ingredients: PRO…". They stay seen-but-not-verified until a pack photo closes them.

At a glance

Product	Type	First ingredient	Added sugar?	Pack size (as printed)	Country of manufacture (as printed)
Milo Instant Chocolate Malt Drink Powder — Regular	Powder, chocolate malt	Protomalt malt extract (barley)	Yes — sugar (3rd)	400g	Singapore
Milo 3-in-1 Instant Chocolate Malt Drink — Regular	Powder, 3-in-1 (just add water)	Sugar	Yes — sugar (1st)	33g per sachet (pack count not stated)	not stated
Milo Chocolate Malt Milk UHT Packet Drink (6 × 200ml)	RTD, UHT packet	Sugar*	Yes — sugar (1st)*	6 × 200ml	not stated
Milo Chocolate Malt Milk Bottle Drink — Peng (6 × 225ml)	RTD, bottle	Skimmed milk powder	Yes — sugar (3rd)	6 × 225ml	not stated
Milo Original Activ-Go Can 240ml	RTD, can	Skimmed milk	Yes — sugar (3rd); added sugar 12.0g per can	240ml	not stated
Ovaltine Malted Chocolate Packet Drink (6 × 236ml)	RTD, packet	Sugar*	Yes — sugar (1st)*; glucose also listed	6 × 236ml	Malaysia
Ovaltine Malt Drink Chocolate Flavour 820g (Lower in Sugar)	Powder, lower sugar	Extract of barley and malt	Yes — sugar (2nd); glucose also listed	820g	Thailand
Horlicks Instant Malted Drink Powder — Original	Powder, malted milk (no cocoa)	Wheat flour	Yes — sugar (4th)	400g	India
Horlicks Instant Malted Drink Powder — Chocolate	Powder, chocolate malt	Cereal extract (barley, malted barley, millet, wheat)	Yes — sugar (2nd)	400g	Malaysia

* Flag: the FairPrice ingredient sections for the Milo UHT packet drink and the Ovaltine packet drink list no water. See the cards below — the lists are quoted as published, but they look like powder-base lists reused on RTD listings, and a pack photo is needed to settle them. Panelled with verbatim lists: 9 products. Seen-but-not-verified: see the list below.

Prices are deliberately not shown here: they change weekly and would go stale. This site compares ingredients only.

Malted chocolate drink powders

Milo Instant Chocolate Malt Drink Powder — Regular (400g tin)

Pack size: 400g · Made in: Singapore (as printed)

Ingredients (FairPrice ingredient section, origin Singapore): Protomalt® Malt Extract (contains Barley), Skimmed Milk (Cow's milk), Sugar, Cocoa, Palm Oil, Minerals (Dicalcium Phosphate, Disodium Phosphate, Ferric Pyrophosphate), Vitamins (C, B3, D, B6, B2, B12).

The reference Milo powder. Malt extract first, then skimmed milk, then sugar, then cocoa — a short list with no creamer, emulsifier or flavouring beyond the malt/milk/cocoa core, plus mineral and vitamin fortification (Activ-Go / Protomalt). Preparation as printed: 6 teaspoons (30g) in 200ml hot water. Halal, Healthier Choice (FairPrice listing). Powder Malt first Added sugar: sugar (3rd) Allergens: barley (gluten), milk

Milo 3-in-1 Instant Chocolate Malt Drink — Regular

Pack size: 33g per sachet (pack count not stated) · Made in: not stated (as printed)

Ingredients (FairPrice ingredient section): Sugar, Protomalt Malt Extract (contains Barley), Skimmed Milk Powder, Cocoa, Palm Oil, Tapioca Dextrin, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel oil, Actigen-E (Dicalcium Phosphate, Magnesium Carbonate, Ascorbic Acid, Ferric Pyrophosphate, Nicotinamide, Calcium D-Pantothenate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, D-Biotin), Sodium Chloride, Sodium Caseinate (contains Milk Protein), Dipotassium Phosphate, Disodium Phosphate, Flavour (Vanillin and of non-animal origin), Dextrose, Monoglycerides (INS 471), Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Silicon Dioxide, Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Ester (INS 472e), Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hexametaphosphate and Cyanocobalamin.

The convenience version, and a much longer list. Sugar moves to first place, and the 3-in-1 format adds a creamer system (palm oil, hydrogenated palm kernel oil, sodium caseinate, dextrose), tapioca dextrin, and emulsifiers/stabilisers (INS 471, 472e, tripolyphosphate, hexametaphosphate) so it mixes with hot water alone — none of which is in the Regular powder. Preparation as printed: add 200ml water (80°C) and stir. Powder, 3-in-1 Sugar first Added sugar: sugar (1st) + dextrose Allergens: barley (gluten), milk

Ovaltine Malt Drink Chocolate Flavour 820g (Lower in Sugar)

Pack size: 820g · Made in: Thailand (as printed)

Ingredients (Singapore Carousell seller quoting the pack — reseller-quoted, verify on a retail pack; origin Thailand): Extract Of Barley And Malt (Cereals Containing Gluten), Sugar, Glucose, Fat Reduced Cocoa, Palm Oil, Minerals (Calcium Phosphate Diabasic, Ferric Phosphate, Manganese Sulphate), Butter Milk Powder (Cows Milk), Whey Powder (Cows Milk), Taurine, Dipotassium Phosphate, Nature Identical Flavours, Sodium Casienate, (Cows Milk), Vitamins (Ascorbic Acid, Di Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate, Niacinamide, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Acetate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Cholecalciferol, Cyanocobalamin), Mono And Diglycerides Of Fatty Acids, Sodium Triphosphate, Salt and Maltodextrin.

The only full Ovaltine powder list retrieved in this pass, and the only one for a lower-sugar variant. Malt extract first — unlike the Ovaltine RTD below, where sugar is first — with sugar second and glucose third, so "lower in sugar" is a relative claim against regular malted drinks (the seller states 25% lower in sugar), not a no-sugar product. Taurine is listed, which appears in no other panelled product here. Flag: the source is a Singapore resale listing quoting the pack, not a retailer ingredient section or the brand site — treat it as a quoted pack list pending a retail-pack check. The seller also states Nutri-Grade B; that is a seller claim, not verified from the pack here, and no grade is quoted as verified. Powder Lower in sugar (relative claim) Malt first Added sugar: sugar (2nd) + glucose Allergens: milk, cereal containing gluten

Horlicks Instant Malted Drink Powder — Chocolate (400g)

Pack size: 400g · Made in: Malaysia (as printed)

Ingredients (FairPrice ingredient section, origin Malaysia): Cereal Extract (Barley, Malted Barley, Millet, Wheat), Sugar, Maltodextrin Powder, Skimmed Milk Powder (10%), Non-Dairy Creamer {Glucose Syrup Solids, Vegetable Fat (Palm Fat), Stabilizer [Ins 340(Ii), Ins451(I), Milk Protein(Casein), Emulsifier (Ins471, Ins472 E), Anticaking Agent (Ins551)}, Cocoa Powder, Minerals (Calcium Carbonate, Ferric Pyrophosphate, Sodium Chloride, Zinc Sulphate), Thickener (Ins415), Flavouring Substances, Dextrose Anhydrous, Vitamins (C, B3, B2, B6, E, B1, A, Folic Acid, B12).

Horlicks' chocolate version is built differently from Milo: a cereal extract (barley, malted barley, millet, wheat) first, sugar second, then maltodextrin and a non-dairy creamer — cocoa powder sits inside the creamer braces in the FairPrice transcription, after the creamer components, so its position in the list is unclear from this transcription alone. Skimmed milk powder is stated at 10%. Contains cereal with gluten, milk and milk products, and soy. Halal, Healthier Choice (FairPrice listing). Powder Chocolate malt Added sugar: sugar (2nd) + glucose syrup + dextrose Allergens: gluten, milk, soy

Malted milk powders — related, no cocoa

These are malt drinks, not chocolate drinks, but they sit on the same shelf and shoppers compare them with Milo and Ovaltine, so they are panelled here as related products — clearly labelled, not counted as chocolate malt rows.

Horlicks Instant Malted Drink Powder — Original (400g refill)

Pack size: 400g · Made in: India (as printed)

Ingredients (FairPrice ingredient section, origin India): Wheat Flour, Malted Barley, Dried Whey, Sugar, Acidity Regulator (Calcium Carbonate), Vegetable Fat, Dried Skimmed Milk, Salt, Minerals, (Potassium Bicarbonate, Magnesium Sulphate, Magnesium Phosphate, Ferric Pyrophosphate, Zinc Oxide, Potassium Iodide), Vitamins (C, Biotin, Niacin, E, A, Pantothenic Acid, B6, B2, B1, Folic Acid, D, B12), Maltodextrin.

No cocoa anywhere in the list — wheat flour and malted barley lead, then dried whey and sugar. The brand describes it as malted barley, wheat and milk with no artificial colouring, flavours, sweeteners or preservatives, with a NutriFill-Max vitamin/mineral blend. Preparation as printed: 3 heaped teaspoons (30g) in 170ml hot water. Vegetarian, Halal, Healthier Choice (FairPrice listing). Contains cereals with gluten, milk and other milk products. Powder Malted milk — no cocoa Added sugar: sugar (4th) Allergens: gluten, milk

Ready-to-drink malted drinks

Milo Chocolate Malt Milk UHT Packet Drink (6 × 200ml)

Pack size: 6 × 200ml · Made in: not stated (as printed)

Ingredients (FairPrice ingredient section, as published): Sugar, Skimmed Milk Powder (Cow's Milk), Malt Extract (Contains Barley), Cocoa, Palm Olein, Emulsifier, Actigen-E (Dicalcium Phosphate, Magnesium Carbonate, Vitamin C, Ferric Pyrophosphate, Nicotinamide, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin B6, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Biotin), Disodium Phosphate, Soya Lecithin, Vanillin, Cyanocobalamin.

Flag — read this before using the list: this is a ready-to-drink UHT milk drink, but the FairPrice ingredient section lists no water and no liquid milk — it starts with sugar and skimmed milk powder. That is the shape of a powder-base list, not a finished-drink list, and it looks as if FairPrice reused the powder list on the RTD listing. It is quoted here exactly as published, but it should not be treated as a verified full RTD list until a pack photo confirms it. Drink chilled or ambient, per the listing. RTD, UHT Sugar first* List flagged — no water listed Allergens: barley, milk, soya

Milo Chocolate Malt Milk Bottle Drink — Peng (6 × 225ml)

Pack size: 6 × 225ml · Made in: not stated (as printed)

Ingredients (FairPrice ingredient section as returned in search — the FairPrice omni page for this product now returns 404, so re-verify on the live listing or pack): Skimmed Milk Powder (Cow's Milk), Malt Extract (Contains Barley), Sugar, Cocoa, Palm Olein, Stabilisers, Minerals (Calcium Carbonate, Dicalcium Phosphate, Magnesium Carbonate, Disodium Phosphate, Ferric Pyrophosphate), Emulsifiers (Contain Soya Lecithin), Vitamins (C, B3, B5, B6, B1, B2, Biotin, B12), Maltodextrin, Flavourings.

The bottled Milo Peng — the Milo-van-style iced Milo in a bottle, positioned by Nestlé Singapore as a more "gao" and chocolatey RTD for local palates. Skimmed milk powder first here, unlike the UHT packet where sugar is first, and stabilisers/emulsifiers are listed as groups rather than named. The same no-water caveat applies as for the UHT packet: this reads like a powder-base list, not a finished-drink list. RTD, bottle Added sugar: sugar (3rd) List flagged — no water listed Allergens: barley, milk, soya

Milo Original Activ-Go Can 240ml

Pack size: 240ml · Made in: not stated (as printed)

Ingredients (Guan Chun Ding, Singapore distributor, beverage listing): Skimmed Milk (Cow's Milk), Malt Extract (Contains Barley), Sugar, Cocoa, Palm Olein, Emulsifiers (E471, Soya Lecithin), Minerals (Dicalcium Phosphate, Magnesium Carbonate, Disodium Phosphate, Ferric Pyrophosphate), Maltodextrin, Stabilisers (E407, E401), Flavourings, Vitamins (A3, B6, B2, D, B12).

The canned RTD, sold in Singapore in 240ml cans (including 24-can cartons on Shopee SG). Unlike the two FairPrice RTD rows above, this list starts with liquid skimmed milk — the shape a ready-to-drink milk drink's list should have — though it still lists no water. It is also the only RTD here with a full retrieved nutrition panel (see Nutrition). Note the distributor's vitamin list reads "A3" where other Milo listings read B3 — quoted as printed, likely a transcription error on the distributor page, not corrected here. RTD, can Skimmed milk first Added sugar: sugar (3rd) Allergens: barley, milk, soya

Ovaltine Malted Chocolate Packet Drink (6 × 236ml)

Pack size: 6 × 236ml · Made in: Malaysia (as printed)

Ingredients (FairPrice ingredient section, origin Malaysia): Sugar, Extract of Barley and Malt, Full Cream Milk Powder (Cow's Milk), Glucose, Butter Milk Powder (Cow's Milk), Cocoa Powder, Vegetable Oil (Palm), Mineral (Tricalcium Phosphate), INS 331 (iii), Stabilizers, INS 340 (ii), INS 471, Sodium Caseinate (Cow's Milk), Vitamins (Dl-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate, Niacinamide, Cholecalciferol, Vitamin A Acetate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Cyanocobalamin, Folic Acid), INS 451 (i), Maltodextrin, Salt.

Flag — same caveat as the Milo UHT packet: a ready-to-drink packet drink whose published ingredient section starts with sugar and lists milk powders, with no water. Quoted exactly as FairPrice publishes it, but it reads like the powder list reused on the RTD listing — a pack photo is needed. Sugar first, then barley/malt extract, then full cream milk powder, with glucose as a second sweetener and cocoa powder sixth. Contains cereal containing gluten and milk. Healthier Choice (FairPrice listing). RTD, packet Sugar first* Added sugar: sugar (1st) + glucose List flagged — no water listed Allergens: gluten, milk

Seen but not verified — do not panel until checked

Milo Activ-Go Gao Siew Dai sachets (13 × 33g, SG Special Edition) — sold in Singapore (Shopee SG, Nestlé Official Store; Nestlé Singapore brand page confirms 50% less table sugar and 30% more protein vs Milo 3-in-1). The Shopee description truncates mid-list at "Ingredients: PRO…" — no full verbatim list retrievable. Needs a pack photo. Milo Gao Siew Dai with Whole Grain Cereal — same range, same gap. Milo 3-in-1 Less Sugar (Nestlé SG: 25% less sugar) and Milo UHT Less Sugar 125ml cartons — on sale in Singapore, no verbatim list retrieved for either.
Milo Instant Chocolate Malt Drink Powder with Milk — Regular (1.4kg) — FairPrice listing exists; no ingredient section was retrieved in this pass. Do not assume it matches the Regular 400g tin.
Ovaltine Malted Power 10 Chocolate jar 400g, Ovaltine Malted Milk jar 400g, Ovaltine 3-in-1 / Xtra Malt sachets — sold in Singapore via Shopee SG (including the Twinings Official Store bundle); listings give only short marketing descriptions, no verbatim ingredient list. The Lower in Sugar 820g powder above is the only Ovaltine powder panelled. The UK/Swiss Ovaltine Original list (barley malt extract 73%, condensed milk permeate, fat-reduced cocoa 8%) is a different market's formulation and is not used as the SG pack list.
Bournvita Chocolate Nutrition Drink 500g — sold in Singapore via Shopee SG (seller JVM Super Market), but the listing gives only a primary-ingredients summary: "Malt Extract (Barley, Wheat), Sugar, Cocoa Solids, Milk Solids, Liquid Glucose" — that is a summary, not a verbatim pack list. A fuller list circulates for the Indian formulation (malt extract 44%, sugar, cocoa solids, milk solids, liquid glucose, emulsifiers (322, 471), vitamins, raising agent (500(ii)), minerals, salt, colour (150c), artificial vanilla flavouring) — that is an India-market list, not quoted here as the SG pack. Needs an SG pack photo.
Horlicks other variants — Horlicks Lite / Classic Malt (India formulations, e.g. cereal extract 65–66%, milk solids, soy protein isolate) and Horlicks Traditional (UK formulation, wheat 41%, malted barley 31%) are different markets' products; no SG sale with a verified SG list was established for them in this pass. Do not use their lists as SG lists.
Cadbury Drinking Chocolate 500g — sold in Singapore via Shopee SG, list quoted on the listing as: Sugar, Cocoa powder, Acidity Regulator (Potassium Carbonates), Flavouring; may contain milk; cocoa solids 25% minimum. It contains no malt, so it is out of scope for this page (plain hot chocolate/cocoa page), noted here only so it is not mistaken for a missing malted row.
Ovomaltine — no Singapore listing with a verified ingredient list was found in this pass; not claimed absent, just not inventoried. Needs a channel check (Donki / Meidi-Ya / import grocers are the likely shelves).
Milo Energy Cube and Milo breakfast cereal — excluded, not missing: the Energy Cube is a confectionery snack and the cereal is a breakfast cereal, neither is a malted drink. Their FairPrice ingredient sections exist but belong on other pages.
Cold Storage, Giant, Sheng Siong, Don Don Donki, Mustafa, Meidi-Ya, Le Petit Depot, Little Farms, RedMart and Lazada ranges — not inventoried in this pass. This page's inventory is FairPrice ingredient sections, Shopee SG listings, the Nestlé Singapore brand site, one Singapore distributor listing and one Singapore resale listing (see Sources). House-brand malted drinks, Donki/Meidi-Ya parallel imports (e.g. Australian Milo, UK Horlicks/Ovaltine) and any Mustafa import range are the biggest open gaps and need in-store / category-page checks.

Nutrition — what the numbers say

Only three products have a verified nutrition panel in this pass, and all three are per-serving as printed, not per 100g/100ml — so they are quoted as printed and never converted, and the three serving sizes are different (30g powder, 30g powder, one 240ml can), so the rows are not directly comparable with each other. "As sold" for the two powders means the dry powder; the can is as sold as a ready-to-drink. No official Singapore Nutri-Grade (A–D) was verified as printed on any panelled product in this pass, so none is quoted here; no grade has been assigned. (A seller's Nutri-Grade B claim for the Ovaltine Lower in Sugar powder is noted in its card as a seller claim only.)

Salt and sodium: salt = sodium × 2.5. The table shows sodium as printed (in mg) with the salt equivalent in brackets. Sodium is not presented as salt, and salt is not presented as sodium.

Total vs added sugars: where the source states added sugars separately, it is shown. Milo Regular powder states added table sugar 8.4g per 30g serving alongside 12g total sugars; the Milo can states added sugar 12.0g and lactose 4.6g per can alongside 16.6g total sugars. Horlicks Original states total sugars only (11g per 30g serving) — no added-sugars figure is given, and none is inferred. The ingredient list remains the evidence for added sugar (sugar, glucose, glucose syrup, dextrose, maltodextrin) versus naturally occurring sugars (lactose in milk).

Figures marked "not stated" were not in the source retrieved; they are not estimated, borrowed from another variant, or copied across flavours.

Product	Basis	Energy	Protein	Total fat	Saturated fat	Carbohydrate	Sugars	Sodium (salt equiv.)
Milo Instant Chocolate Malt Drink Powder — Regular	Per serving (30g powder), as sold, as printed (FairPrice)	123 kcal	3.5 g	3 g	1.5 g	19.8 g	12 g total; 8.4 g added table sugar	42 mg (salt 0.105 g)
Horlicks Instant Malted Drink Powder — Original	Per serving (30g powder), as sold, as printed (FairPrice)	115 kcal	2.8 g	0.9 g	0.4 g	23.2 g	11 g total; added sugars not stated	159 mg (salt 0.40 g)
Milo Original Activ-Go Can 240ml	Per serving (1 can, 240ml), as sold, as printed (SG distributor)	149 kcal	4.8 g	3.6 g	1.9 g	24.0 g	16.6 g total; 12.0 g added sugar; 4.6 g lactose	84 mg (salt 0.21 g)

Observed numbers, no verdict: per printed serving, Milo Regular powder lists 12g total sugars (8.4g added) per 30g, Horlicks Original lists 11g total sugars per 30g with no added-sugars figure stated, and the Milo can lists 16.6g total sugars (12.0g added) per 240ml can. Sodium per printed serving is 42mg for Milo Regular powder, 159mg for Horlicks Original powder, and 84mg for the Milo can — the Horlicks powder serving carries the highest sodium of the three, but the servings are different products in different formats and are not ranked here.

Seen but not verified (nutrition): no nutrition panel was verified in this pass for Milo 3-in-1 Regular, Milo UHT Packet Drink, Milo Peng Bottle Drink, Ovaltine Packet Drink, Ovaltine Lower in Sugar 820g powder, Horlicks Chocolate powder, Milo Gao Siew Dai, Milo 3-in-1 Less Sugar, Milo UHT Less Sugar, Bournvita, or any Ovaltine jar powder. A forum post citing FairPrice gives Milo 3-in-1 as 13.8g total sugars / 10.8g added sugars per 27g sachet — that is a secondary forum claim, not a retrieved panel, so it is not tabled here. Their ingredient panels are unchanged; their nutrition figures are not estimated here.

How to read a malted drink label — the jargon, in plain English

Protomalt / malt extract: An extract made from malted barley — the "malt" in a malted drink. In Milo it is the first ingredient of the Regular powder; in 3-in-1 it drops to second, after sugar.
3-in-1: Powder + milk powder + sugar (and usually a creamer) in one sachet — just add hot water. The creamer system (palm oil, hydrogenated palm kernel oil, sodium caseinate, emulsifiers) is what makes it dissolve without milk, and it is why the 3-in-1 list is much longer than the Regular powder's.
Malted milk vs malted chocolate: Malted milk (Horlicks Original, Ovaltine Malted Milk) is malt + milk with no cocoa. Malted chocolate adds cocoa (and usually more sugar). Check for "cocoa" in the list — its absence is the tell.
Non-dairy creamer: A powdered fat-and-carbohydrate mix (glucose syrup solids, palm fat, emulsifiers, anticaking agent) used instead of milk to make a drink creamy when mixed with water. Listed in Horlicks Chocolate and, in effect, in Milo 3-in-1.
Actigen-E / Activ-Go / NutriFill-Max / Nutri 10 / Power 10: Brand names for the added vitamin-and-mineral blends. They are fortification mixes, not single ingredients — the brackets after them list the actual vitamins and minerals.
INS numbers (INS 471, 472e, 340, 451…): International Numbering System codes for food additives: 471 and 472e are emulsifiers, 340/451 are acidity regulators/stabilisers, 551 is an anticaking agent. The name matters more than the number — an emulsifier helps oil and water mix; it is not a sweetener.
"No added sugar" vs "lower in sugar" vs "less sugar": None of the panelled products claims no added sugar. "Lower/less sugar" (Ovaltine Lower in Sugar, Milo Gao Siew Dai) is a relative claim against the brand's regular product, not a sugar-free claim — sugar is still listed 2nd in the Ovaltine lower-sugar powder.
"As sold" (powder) vs "as prepared": Nutrition for a powder is usually per serving of dry powder (e.g. 30g). The drink you actually consume depends on how much powder and how much water or milk you use — a "gao" (thick) Milo made with extra powder and condensed milk is a different drink from the printed serving. RTD nutrition (per can/carton) is the finished drink, and is not comparable with a powder serving.

What this page is not

Not a health score, and not a "best" pick. Powders, 3-in-1s, malted milks and RTDs are different products, and this page does not rank them.
Not a taste test, and not a price comparison. Prices change weekly; ingredients change less often, but still change.
Not complete. The Gao Siew Dai and Ovaltine jar ranges, Bournvita, and the Cold Storage / Giant / Sheng Siong / Donki / Mustafa / Meidi-Ya / Le Petit Depot / RedMart / Lazada shelves listed above are not yet panelled, for the verification reasons given, not hidden. The two FairPrice RTD lists are quoted as published but flagged as looking like powder lists — a pack photo is the only thing that settles them.

Sources and method

Checked 5–6 November 2026 from: FairPrice ingredient sections (Milo Regular powder, Milo 3-in-1 Regular, Milo UHT packet drink, Ovaltine packet drink, Horlicks Original, Horlicks Chocolate — the Milo Peng bottle list is from a FairPrice ingredient section as returned in search, its omni page now returning 404); Guan Chun Ding Singapore distributor listing (Milo Original Activ-Go can 240ml, ingredients + per-can nutrition); Singapore Carousell seller listing quoting the pack (Ovaltine Lower in Sugar 820g); Nestlé Singapore brand pages (Gao Siew Dai range, Milo 3-in-1 Less Sugar — descriptions only, no lists); Shopee Singapore listings (Ovaltine jar powders, Bournvita, Milo Gao Siew Dai, Milo can cartons — inventory only, lists truncated or summary-only). Full per-fact source list is in the accompanying research notes. Nutrition section added 5–6 November 2026: figures are per-serving as printed where the source gives per-serving figures only, and are not converted to per 100g/100ml; sugars are total sugars as printed, with added sugars shown separately only where the source states them; salt = sodium × 2.5. Where a full pack list could not be verified, the product is in seen-but-not-verified instead of being panelled.