Now that the Altoids brand has been sold to Wrigley, it seems Wrigley is tinkering with the ingredients. Altoids peppermint-flavored mints used to contain sugar, oil of peppermint, gum arabic, gelatin, corn syrup. Now Altoids contain sugar, gum arabic, artificial flavor, oil of peppermint, gelatin, glucose syrup. Note that there is now more artificial flavor than there is peppermint oil.<\/p>\n
They no longer taste “curiously strong,” they just taste like any old bland mint. The change occurred at least as long ago as April, according to this blog entry.<\/a> Apparently, the supplier in this area had a big supply of the old ones on hand, for it was just this week that I wound up buying the new, curiously bland Altoids.<\/p>\n Why would I bother mentioning this trivial fact on a blog that is devoted mostly to religion? Well, the old Altoids had a large amount of peppermint oil in them. Peppermint oil helps soothe vocal chords; I’ve heard of shape-note singers who carry around a little bottle of food-grade oil of peppermint, and during long singing sessions they periodically place a drop of the oil on their tongues to keep their voices in good shape. As a preacher, I too have used peppermint oil to keep my voice in good shape, but rather than carry around a bottle of peppermint oil I used to carry around peppermint Altoids.<\/p>\n But now there is so little peppermint oil in Altoids, it just isn’t worth it. I won’t bother complaining to Wrigley’s:– most customers won’t care or even notice a difference, and their bottom line will improve because peppermint oil is expensive.<\/p>\n Guess I’ll have to follow the lead of the shape-note singers, and go get a little bottle of peppermint oil.<\/p>\n