www.whyville.net Feb 14, 2010 Weekly Issue



WaterMel8
Guest Writer

Behind the Mint: Tic Tacs

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"Spit your gum out!" your teacher yells at you for chewing gum during class. 'That is the only way I'm going to get minty breath,' you think. You spit out your gum and walk back to your seat when you hear a loud rattling. Somebody has Tic Tacs! There may be another way to get fresh breath.

Tic Tacs are a great way to freshen your breath up when your school bans gum. In case you wanted to know why teachers ban gum, it may be because gum stains the floors and some students stick it underneath the desks for other classmates to bump into. But Tic Tacs are a quick, and clean way to mint-ify your tongue!

But where did the idea start? It started Wwy back in 1969 from the Italian producer of sweet candies Ferreo S.P.A. They were first produced in Australia.

Tic Tacs are usually sold in a small sliver container with a flexible flip lid made from plastic. Originally the Tic Tacs were dyed a certain color for whatever flavor it was but now in many countries the Tic Tac box is colored according to the flavor and the Tic Tacs itself, are white.

The first original flavor of the Tic Tac was mint but over time many new flavors were added such as:

- Cinnamon (also known as Winter Warmer)
- Orange
- Spearmint
- Mandarin
- Wintergreen
- Orange and Lime together
- Passion fruit
- Lime

Did you know that the grape flavor was eliminated from the flavor selection. It was because of health concerns over the dye that was being put into it called "Amaranth, FD&C Red No. 2, E123, C.I. Food Red 9, Acid Red 27, Azorubin S". Soon after its cancellation, a limited edition of the lemon flavor was released.

Tic Tacs are known as the "1/2 Calorie Breath Mint" but this has changed because the size of the containers has increased due to "double packs". In Canada, New Zealand and Australia, the Tic Tac slogan is "It's not just a mint, it's a Tic Tac".

The double packs consists of two or more flavors, like Tangerine and Lime! I asked a couple of questions to some Whyvillians about there favorite Tic Tacs.

WaterMel8: What is your favorite Tic Tac flavor?
K3LSEA: Probably Lime Melon.
jelloroks: I'm kind of "Plain Jane". I like the orange flavor. Oh, and the cherry passion flavor.
bObami: I've always loved Orange Tic Tacs (because I hate mint), but I also like the bold fruity one.
WaterMel8: Do you prefer gum or a Tic Tac?
K3LSEA: Tic Tacs!
jelloroks: I like gum. The flavor usually lasts longer.
bObami: Gum, because that lasts longer.
WaterMel8: When was the last time you had a Tic Tac?
K3LSEA: Yesterday
jelloroks: Right now.
bObambi: In the summer, I used to buy them all the time.
WaterMel8: Do you know any fun facts about the Tic Tacs? If so, let us know!
K3LSEA: No, except that they are delicious and fun to eat!
jelloroks: All I know is that they "Entertain your mouth!" and were first made in Australia.
bObami: Not really a fun fact, but the lady on the commercial sometimes has a British accent, then doesn't! Weird, right?

Thanks for reading! Keep up the good smellin' breath!

European/other countries version:

USA Version:

Author's Note: Sources: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tic_tac
http://img.icefoundry.co.uk/l_cinnamon_tictacs.jpg

Can anyone tell me how many Tic Tacs were in the cinnamon container?

 

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