Altoids Wintergreen

Altoids are a popular brand of breath mints that have existed since the turn of the 19th century. Altoids are produced in Britain by Callard & Bowser-Suchard at Bridgend, Wales, although Wrigley announced in mid 2005 they planned to move Altoids production to an existing plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee in order to manufacture its products closer to where they are sold. The move is expected to be complete by mid-2006. The history of Altoids actually dates back to the reign of King George III. The brand was created by a London-based Smith & Company in the 1780s but eventually became part of the Callard & Bowser company in the 1800s. They are still advertised as "The Original Celebrated Curiously Strong Peppermints". A box of Altoids Source: Image taken by Dori License: Public Domain This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... A box of Altoids Source: Image taken by Dori License: Public Domain This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Mints are usually hard or brittle candy, characterized by the presence of mint flavoring, whether it be peppermint oil, spearmint oil, or an artificial substitute. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Bridgend (Welsh: Pen-y-bont) is a town in the traditional county of Glamorgan and the main town in the county borough of Bridgend. ... For an explanation of often confusing terms such as Great Britain, Britain, United Kingdom and England, see British Isles (terminology). ... George III (George William Frederick) (4 June 1738 – 29 January 1820) was King of Great Britain, and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until 1 January 1801, and thereafter King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death. ... For other uses, see London (disambiguation) and Defining London (below). ... Nothing much really happened in the 1780s only that Mary-Anne Tobin was hung in public for wearing a flase beard and voting. ... Events and Trends Beginning of the Napoleonic Wars (1803 - 1815). ...

Altoids come in small tins that many find handy for a variety of uses, including storage of small paraphernalia. Some report that an Altoids tin can be fashioned to be used as an emergency camping stove. They have also been used to create pinhole cameras, house small amateur radios, geocaches, MP3 players, cases for the Zen Micro and even iPod battery packs. Also a great use for Altoids tins is containers for small (and quite complete) mini survival kits. Three tin cans of varying sizes; the one on front is opened with a pull tab. ... A small portable stove and its container A portable stove is a stove specially designed to be portable and lightweight, such as for camping. ... Principle of a pinhole camera. ... Mrs. ... Geocaching is an outdoor sport that involves the use of a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver to find a geocache (or cache) placed anywhere in the world. ... A white Fifth Generation iPod (a. ...

The story of Altoids can be found on thin pieces of paper that come inside of certain tins.

Flavors and Varieties

Some of the tins that Altoids products come in

Mints: Altoids mints are currently available in the following flavors: peppermint, wintergreen, spearmint, and cinnamon. "Specialty flavors" ginger mints and liquorice mints were also created and sell in the same size and shape tins as the originals. Limited edition sets of tins are also available. The first displayed artists from Altoids' then-newly-formed "Curiously Strong Art Collection" and was a set of three. The second (more recent) featured slightly-altered pictures of images from long ago (muscle man, young boy and devil woman, all holding the tins). The third and current limited edition set featured three interesting pop culture choices—two of the minor creatures from the Frosty the Snowman / claymation holiday specials (including the 'heat miser' being), as well as the more popular icon Curious George. The Curious George tins in particular were immensely popular and sold out at many locations. In mid-2005, the company also introduced "Sugar-Free Smalls", tiny square mints sweetened with sorbitol and sucralose, in peppermint and cinnamon flavors (60 mints per tin). Each of the "smalls" is imprinted with a capital letter "A". Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1310x888, 255 KB) Summary Image of different types of Altoids Tins Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1310x888, 255 KB) Summary Image of different types of Altoids Tins Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Mints are usually hard or brittle candy, characterized by the presence of mint flavoring, whether it be peppermint oil, spearmint oil, or an artificial substitute. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Binomial name Mentha × piperita L. Peppermint (Mentha × piperita) is a (usually) sterile hybrid mint, a cross between Watermint (Mentha aquatica) and Spearmint (Mentha spicata). ... Chemical structure of methyl salicylate Methyl salicylate (chemical formula C6H4(HO)COOCH3; also known as salicylic acid methyl ester, oil of wintergreen, betula oil, methyl ester) is a natural product of many species of plants. ... Binomial name Mentha spicata Crantz Spearmint (Mentha spicata, syn ), yields an aromatic and carminative oil, referred to as oil of spearmint. Many people use the name scotch spearmint for gingermint (Mentha x gracilis, syn ), a hybrid of spearmint and wild mint (Mentha arvensis). ... Binomial name Cinnamomum verum J.Presl Cassia (Indonesian cinnamon) is also commonly called (and sometimes sold as) cinnamon. ... Binomial name Zingiber officinale Roscoe Ginger root is used extensively as a spice in many if not most cuisines of the world. ... Binomial name Glycyrrhiza glabra L. Liquorice (Br. ... Frosty the Snowman is a popular Christmas song written by Steve Jack Rollins and Steve Nelson in 1950. ... The term Claymation is a registered trademark created by Will Vinton Studios to describe their clay animated movies; the more generic term is clay animation, but the portmanteau claymation has entered the English language as a genericized trademark. ... Curious George is the protagonist and main character from a series of popular childrens books by the same name, written by Hans Augusto Rey and Margret Rey. ... Sorbitol, also known as glucitol, is a sugar alcohol the body metabolises slowly. ... Diagram illustrating structure of the sucralose molecule Sucralose is a non-caloric sweetener known by the trade name Splenda. ...

Sours: In addition to its regular line of mints, starting in the 4th quarter of 2002 the company also started selling hard-candy sours in round tins. Flavors include tangerine, citrus, raspberry, apple, mango (introduced December 2005), and passion fruit (no longer available). Binomial name Citrus reticulata Blanco For other uses, see Tangerine (disambiguation). ... Species & major hybrids Species Citrus maxima- Pomelo Citrus medica- Citron Citrus reticulata- Mandarin & Tangerine Major hybrids Citrus x aurantifolia- Key lime Citrus x latifolia- Persian Lime Citrus x aurantium- Bitter Orange Citrus x hystrix- Kaffir Lime Citrus x ichangensis- Ichang Lemon Citrus x limetta- Sweet Lemon Citrus x limon- Lemon... Binomial name Rubus idaeus L. The Raspberry or Red Raspberry, (Rubus idaeus) is a plant that produces a tart, sweet, red composite fruit in late summer or early autumn. ... Binomial name Malus domestica Borkh. ... Species About 35 species, including: Mangifera altissima Mangifera applanata Mangifera caesia Mangifera camptosperma Mangifera casturi Mangifera decandra Mangifera foetida Mangifera gedebe Mangifera griffithii Mangifera indica Mangifera kemanga Mangifera laurina Mangifera longipes Mangifera macrocarpa Mangifera mekongensis Mangifera odorata Mangifera pajang Mangifera pentandra Mangifera persiciformis Mangifera quadrifida Mangifera siamensis Mangifera similis Mangifera... The fruit of Passiflora edulis Passion fruit (Portuguese: Maracuj ) comes from passion flower vines, plants of the genus Passiflora, native to tropical and sub-tropical America. ...

Gum: In late 2003, the company introduced a line of sugar-free chewing gums (20 pieces per tin). The flavors of these include the standard peppermint and cinnamon, as well as two newer ones: sour cherry and sour apple. Chewing gum Chewing gum is a type of confectionery which is designed to be chewed, not swallowed. ... Binomial name Mentha × piperita L. Peppermint (Mentha × piperita) is a (usually) sterile hybrid mint, a cross between Watermint (Mentha aquatica) and Spearmint (Mentha spicata). ... Binomial name Cinnamomum verum J.Presl Cassia (Indonesian cinnamon) is also commonly called (and sometimes sold as) cinnamon. ... Species Several, including: Prunus apetala Prunus avium(Wild Cherry) Prunus campanulata Prunus canescens Prunus cerasus(Sour Cherry) Prunus concinna Prunus conradinae Prunus dielsiana Prunus emarginata(Bitter Cherry) Prunus fruticosa Prunus incisa Prunus litigiosa Prunus mahaleb(Saint Lucie Cherry) Prunus maximowiczii Prunus nipponica Prunus pensylvanica(Pin Cherry) Prunus pilosiuscula Prunus rufa... Granny Smith is an apple cultivar originating in Australia around 1865 from a chance seedling propagated by Marie Ana (Granny) Smith. ...

An Altoids Citrus Sours tin

Altoids Strips: In Spring 2003, Altoids started offering breath strips in peppermint and cinnamon flavors (32 strips per tin) in order to compete with the Listerine PocketPaks Oral Care Strips. Like the other items in their product line, Altoids Strips come in a metal tin, their smallest to-date. In fact, it's so small that it has a safety warning printed on it stating that "this tin may present a choking hazard." Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1280x960, 440 KB) Summary An Altoids Citrus Sours lid. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1280x960, 440 KB) Summary An Altoids Citrus Sours lid. ...

Of the Altoids range, only the original peppermint flavor is sold in Britain; the other varieties are produced for export only—primarily to the United States.

Ingredients and Nutritional Information

As of January, 2006

note: The regular varieties of Altoids (peppermint, wintergreen, spearmint, cinnamon, ginger and liquorice) contain gelatin, and as such are unsuitable for vegans and some types of vegetarians. Gelatin (also gelatine) is a translucent brittle solid substance, colorless or slightly yellow, nearly tasteless and odorless, which is created by prolonged boiling of animal skin, connective tissue or bones. ... Hens kept in cramped conditions — the avoidance of animal suffering is the primary motivation of people who become vegans A vegan is a person who avoids the ingestion or use of animal products. ... For animals adapted to eat primarily plants, sometimes referred to as vegetarian animals, see Herbivore. ...

note: from the Altoids website [1], "Keep in mind that ingredients and formulations change, so nutrition information may also change."

Mints and Specialty: Serving Size: 3 pieces Calories: 10 Fat: 0g Sodium: 0mg Carbohydrate: 2g Sugars: 2g Protein: 0g

• Peppermint: Sugar, oil of peppermint, gum arabic, gelatin, corn syrup.
• Spearmint: Sugar, natural flavor, gum arabic, gelatin, corn syrup, blue 1, yellow 5.
• Cinnamon: Sugar, gum arabic, artificial flavor, gelatin, corn syrup, red 40 lake, peppermint oil, natural flavor.
• Wintergreen: Sugar, artificial flavor, gum arabic, gelatin, corn syrup, natural flavor.
• Ginger: Sugar, gum arabic, natural flavor, gelatin, corn syrup.
• Liquorice: Sugar, natural flavor, gum arabic, gelatin, corn syrup.

Sours: Serving Size: 3 pieces Calories: 10 Fat: 0g Sodium: 0mg Carbohydrate: 2g Sugars: 2g Protein: 0g

• Apple: Sugar, corn syrup, malic acid, citric acid, artificial flavor, fumaric acid (for tartness) carnauba wax, red 40, natural flavor.
• Citrus: Sugar, Corn syrup, citric acid, malic acid, natural flavor, carnauba wax.
• Mango: Sugar, Corn syrup, malic and citric acids (for tartness), natural and artificial flavor, carnauba wax, soy lecithin (emulsifier), artificial color (yellow 6).
• Passion Fruit: Sugar, corn syrup, malic acid and citric acids (for tartness), natural flavor, carnauba wax, artificial color (red 40, blue 1) (note, for passion fruit only: serving size: 5 pieces (5g), total carb: 5g, sugars 4g))
• Raspberry: Sugar, corn syrup, malic and citric acids (for tartness), natural and artificial flavor, carnauba wax, artificial color (red 40, blue 1), soy lecithin (emulsifier).
• Tangerine: Sugar, corn syrup, citric acid, malic acid, natural flavor, carnauba wax, red 40, yellow 5.

Gum: Serving Size: 2 pieces Calories: 5 Sodium: 0mg Fat: 0g Carbohydrate: 2g Sugars: 0 Sugar Alcohol: 2g Protein: 0

• Peppermint: Gum base, xylitol, isomalt, sorbitol, mannitol, gum arabic, oil of peppermint, natural flavor, artificial color, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, wheat maltodextrin, artificial flavor, carnauba wax.
• Cinnamon: Xylitol, Gum base, sorbitol, isomalt, mannitol, gum arabic, artificial and natural flavor, artificial color, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, red 40, carnauba wax.
• Sour Cherry: Gum Base, maltitol, sorbitol, isomalt, cirtic acid, gum arabic, mannitol, malic acid, tartaric acid, artificial flavor, aspartame, natural flavor, acesulfame potassium, red 40 lake, carnauba wax, blue 1 lake.

Sugar Free Smalls:

• Peppermint:' Sorbitol, modified corn starch, wheat maltodextrin, natural and artificial flavor, magnesium stearate, gum arabic, sucralose (sweetener).

Breath Strips:

• Cinnamon: Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Flavor, Maltodextrin, Corn Starch Modified, Hydroxypropylcellulose, Triacetin, Polysorbate 80, Ethyl Alcohol, Sucralose, Potassium Acesulfame, Red 40.
• Peppermint: Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose , Flavor , Maltodextrin , Corn Starch - Modified , Hydroxypropyl Cellulose , Triacetin , Polysorbate 80 , Ethyl Alcohol , Sucralose , Titanium Dioxide , Potassium Acesulfame.

Ownership

Callard and Bowser-Suchard was sold by Beatrice Foods to Terry's of York in 1982 [2], which was then acquired by Kraft General Foods International in 1993. Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company ("Wrigley's") of Chicago agreed to buy the C&B and LifeSavers units from Kraft in November 2004 for USD$1.48 billion after beating out competitors Hershey, Mars, Nestlé and Cadbury. The purchase was completed in June, 2005. The Beatrice Foods Company was a major American food processing company and household name, until it was taken over by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. ... 1982 (MCMLXXXII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Kraft Foods Inc. ... 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... The Wm. ... Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Official website: http://egov. ... LifeSavers Five-Flavor Roll For the band see Lifesavers Underground LifeSavers is a traditional American brand of hard candy. ... It has been designated the: International Year of Rice (by the United Nations) International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition (by UNESCO) 2004 World Health Day topic was Road Safety (by World Health Organization) Year of the Monkey (by the Chinese calendar) See the world in... This article is about general United States currency. ... A Hersheys Dark Chocolate bar sold in the United States. ... Mars Incorporated is a world-wide manufacturer of confectionery with $18 billion (USD) in annual sales (2005). ... Nestlé S.A. or Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., headquartered in Vevey, Switzerland, is the worlds biggest food and beverage company. ... Cadbury Schweppes plc (Cadbury Trebor Bassett), (NYSE: CSG) is a confectionery and beverage company with its headquarters in London. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Tins of peppermint Altoids are still marked Ent. Stationer's Hall because of the former requirement under the Statute of Anne that copyright be "entered at Stationer's Hall" (i.e. registered with the Stationer's Company). This requirement ceased in 1912, but the mark remains. The Statute of Anne (short title Copyright Act 1709 8 Anne c. ... Copyright symbol. ... The Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers is one of the Livery Companies of the City of London. ... 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ...

References

• Grant, Jeremy. "New brands take a toll on Wrigley" Financial Times, London Ed. 26-Oct-2005, pg 27.
• Terdiman, Daniel. "Altoids, the curiously strong tin; The container stylishly stores battery chargers, iPods and more." New York Times 2-Feb-2005.
• "Wrigley to buy Altoids and Life Savers from Kraft." Candy Industry ISSN: 0745-1032; Volume 169; Issue 11 1-Nov-2004.
• What's News. The Wall Street Journal, Business and Finance, pg A1. 15-Nov-2004.
• Pare, Mike. "Wrigley to invest $14M to make Altoids in its Chattanooga, Tenn., plant." Chattanooga Times/Free Press, Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News. 23-Aug-2005.

See also

• Fisherman's Friend
• List of breath mints

The Fishermans Friend range of lozenges were originally created in Fleetwood, Lancashire in 1865 to relieve various respiratory problems suffered by fishermen who sailed from the town. ... This is a list of breath mints: Altoids Aqua Drops Bawls Mints Benoids Blitz Mints BreathSavers Certs Clorets Cyphoids Eclipse Fishermans Friend Flirt Hint Mints Hiyamints Ice Breakers Jila Lifesavers (Pep-o-Mint, Cryst-o-Mint, Wint-o-Green, etc. ...

External links

• Official Altoids website
• Altoids UK distributor
• Flickr Altoids Hacks Group