Over the years, Scott's Emulsion has undergone various packaging changes and marketing campaigns. 'My view on this supplement is that there are some great vitamins in it vitamin A, vitamin D, and it's got omega-3s in there.' How Scott's Emulsion has changed with the times 'I think obviously changed over time in terms of trying to make it taste better,' Ms O'Hanlon says. Yes, I loved it and can still imagine the taste today – Pauline Edmunds I can practically still taste it – Wendy Flaherty One person's pain is another's pleasureīut taste perception is highly subjective, and what one person finds unpleasant, another may not mind - or even enjoy. However, unlike the pungent and bitter cod liver oils of the past, Scott's Emulsion now comes in a variety of flavours including orange, lemon, and even strawberry. 'Fish oil is typically from the body tissues of various fatty fish species, like salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring, and anchovies.'įast forward to today's world, which is filled with cutting-edge pharmaceuticals, fancy health supplements, and wellness trends, Scott's fishy elixir continues to fly off shelves around the globe. 'Cod liver oil is derived from the liver of codfish - specifically the Atlantic cod - and is made by extracting oil from the liver tissue,' she says. It was marketed as having 'remarkable curative effects' for everything from consumption, chronic coughs, bronchitis, anaemia and 'general debility'.Ī Dutch boy sits forlornly while staring at a bottle of 'levetraan' - cod liver oil ( Unsplash: Netherlands National Archives) Three years later in 1876 they established their firm Scott and Bowne in New York and began marketing Scott's Emulsion. What is Scott's Emulsion?Īlfred B Scott, and his partner Samuel W Bowne, began experimenting in 1873 to produce a more palatable preparation of cod-liver oil. We are about to enter a world where health meets the high seas and dive headfirst into a health elixir testing the toughest of tastebuds over generations. While the concoction was a nutrient powerhouse, it tasted foul. In the 19th century, a daring pharmacist set out on a quest to conquer the brutal Norwegian winters with a secret weapon - fermented fish livers, aka cod liver oil.īut there was a catch (or should we say a 'fishy' twist). They say a spoonful of sugar (or a square of chocolate) helps the medicine go down, but not so with the fishy potion known as Scott's Emulsion.

Scotts emulsion advert