Smint is a brand of

breath mints A mint or breath mint is a food item often consumed as an after-meal refreshment or before business and social engagements to improve breath odor. Mints are commonly believed to soothe the stomach given their association with natural byproducts ...

. These sugar-free mint candies have a rounded triangular shape and many are engraved with an "S".

History

Smint was first conceived by

Chupa Chups Chupa Chups () is a Spanish brand of lollipop and other confectionery sold in over 150 countries around the world. The brand was founded in 1958 by Enric Bernat, and is currently owned by the Italian-Dutch company Perfetti Van Melle. The name ...

in 1990. In the 1990s,

targeted adult customers who wanted a sugar-free product. After four years of development, Smint was introduced to the market in 1994 as a subsidiary brand. It was launched in the UK in 1995, and in 1996 Smint started their "No Smint, no kiss" campaign. By 2001, Smint was the top-selling mint in its class in 90% of the markets where it was available. Also in 2001, Smint started a partnership with

Breast Cancer Care Breast Cancer Care is the only specialist UK-wide charity in the UK providing care, support and information to anyone affected by breast cancer. The charity's headquarters are in London, with additional offices in Sheffield, Cardiff, and Glasgow. ...

, which continues to this day. In 2003, Smint started advertising the health benefits of

Xylitol Xylitol is a chemical compound with the formula , or HO(CH2)(CHOH)3(CH2)OH; specifically, one particular stereoisomer with that structural formula. It is a colorless or white crystalline solid that is freely soluble in water. It can be classifie ...

in their product, and in 2006, Smint and Chupa Chups were taken over by

Perfetti Van Melle Perfetti Van Melle is an Italian-Dutch multinational company of confectionery and gum, It was formed in 2001 with the merger of the Perfetti of Italy, and the Van Melle of the Netherlands. Perfetti Van Melle is headquartered in Lainate, Italy, a ...

. In 2009, Smint launched Smint-XXL tins in the UK, which are three times larger than regular Smint dispensers.

Main ingredients

Aspartame Aspartame is an artificial non-saccharide sweetener 200 times sweeter than sucrose and is commonly used as a sugar substitute in foods and beverages. It is a methyl ester of the aspartic acid/phenylalanine dipeptide with the trade names ...

, flavoring, and

anticaking agent An anticaking agent is an additive placed in powdered or granulated materials, such as table salt or confectioneries, to prevent the formation of lumps (caking) and for easing packaging, transport, flowability, and consumption. Caking mechanisms d ...

are used to make Smint in the UK. Xylitol has been demonstrated to have a plaque-reducing effect by attracting and starving the sucrose-seeking microorganisms that cause tooth decay. Smint is endorsed by

Toothfriendly The tooth-friendly label distinguishes products which are non-cariogenic and non-erosive, i.e. safe for teeth. To replace sugar, toothfriendly products often contain sweeteners (polyols, intense sweeteners) that are not fermented by the microflora o ...

, an international dental ratings' organization.

References

External links

* Breath mints Perfetti Van Melle brands Spanish confectionery {{brand-stub