Alternative names | Peppermints, spearmints |
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Type | Confectionery |
Main ingredients | Mint flavoring or mint oil or other oil (such as wintergreen) |
Variations | Hard mint, soft mints, Scotch mints, Mint Imperials |
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.[1] Mints are commonly believed to soothe the stomach given their association with natural byproducts of the plant genus Mentha.[2] Mints sometimes contain derivatives from plants such as peppermint oil or spearmint oil, or wintergreen from the plant genus Gaultheria. However, many of the most popular mints citing these natural sources contain none in their ingredient list or contain only trace amounts.[3][4][5]