The humble breath mint is one of my favourite pieces of candy. I love how it is low in calories and low in sugar and packed with flavour. So this has got me wondering, who invented the humble mint (which I raid our showroom on a daily basis to get more promotional mints)

History of the Humble Mint

I did a bit of research, the humble mint has a deep history. In ancient times in Egypt, when people died and were mummified, a mixture which resembles a modern day mint would be placed inside a persons mouth to reduce the amount of smell.

This mixture consisted of: Myrrh, cinnamon, frankincense and honey. These ingredients would be boiled and shaped into a small ball.

Eating various "fresh," ingredients to cleanse a persons breath has been known to exist with other cultures and countries as well. People have used all sorts to chew to reduce bad breath. Things like, mint leaves, cardamom seeds, calamus root, herbs, parsley and fennel are a few examples.

The Modern version of a Mint

So who invented the modern mint? The current modern mint really took shape in the 1950's. A company called American Chicle is widely praised as the first company that combined a mint with sugar and confectionery. The mint was popular as it was portable and provided lasting breath freshness.

In the 1980's sugar free mints was invented.

Popularity of Promotional Mints

So how popular are mints? Well if our range is any indication, our promotional mints are the 3rd best selling type of confectionery. The most popular of course is chocolate, followed closely by Jelly beans and mints come in third.

True to the history of mints, these little pieces of confectionery are, portable, can be stored easily and extremely popular at conferences and events.

Article inspired by excerpts first seen on website: https://www.ethos3.com/2014/06/the-history-of-breath-mints/