Eno (drug)

File:Eno-fruit-salt.jpg

Eno

Eno is the most global of GlaxoSmithKline's (GSK) products. The fast-acting effervescent fruit salts, used as an antacid and reliever of bloatedness, was invented in the 1850s by James Crossley Eno (1827-1915). It has sales of nearly £30 million; its major markets are Spain, India, Brazil, South Africa, Malaysia and Thailand. It is frequently used as a substitute for baking powder.

History

In the summer, 2010, GSK made the decision to withdraw Eno from the UK market. At the beginning of the year, they withdrew the unique UK 218g jar, replacing it with a European/USA 150g jar, increasing its price by 18%. It can still be found in sachets of 5g, sold in boxes of ten, however stocks are not being replaced. Most existing UK stock has an expiry date of May 2013.

This leaves a major gap in the UK market as its primary competitor, Andrews, also a registered trade mark of GlaxoSmithKline, contains 2.1g of sucrose per 5ml measure, making it unsuitable for diabetics. They are, however readily available at Indian grocery stores in the US and UK. Other effervescent alternatives, such as Resolve, contain paracetamol - unnecessary if you have a simple stomach upset. Even alternatives type 'fruit salts' from Boots and Superdrug contain sucrose, the result being a sweet sugary taste in contrast to the historically advertised Eno "refreshing zing". They are not suitable for diabetics.

Each 5g of Eno powder contains:

• Sodium bicarbonate Ph Eur 2.32g
• Citric acid Ph Eur 2.18 g
• Anhydrous sodium carbonate Ph Eur 0.50 g

Total sodium content, 0.85g

See also

• Isobel Cripps, granddaughter of James Crossley Eno.