Wrigley's Breath-Freshening Eclipse Gum and Mints Now Help Kill Bad Breath Germs

21/05/08 While some breath-freshening gum and mints help mask bad breath, the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company announced Eclipse gum and mints will be the first in the U.S. to include magnolia bark extract (MBE) -- a natural ingredient proven to help kill the germs that cause bad breath. This breakthrough follows a 2007 Wrigley study that revealed the germ-killing benefits found in MBE, which has origins in traditional Chinese medicine.

Eclipse with MBE will be unveiled at the All Candy Expo, the nation's largest confections trade show, in Chicago on May 20. Eclipse gum with MBE will appear on store shelves this summer in Spearmint, Winterfrost, Polar Ice, Peppermint and new Fresh & Cool flavors. Eclipse mints with MBE will be available in September 2008 in Spearmint, Peppermint, Winterfrost and Cinnamon Inferno.

"For Wrigley to offer this natural germ-killing ingredient is a breakthrough in the breath-freshening gum and mint categories," said Paul Chibe, Wrigley's Vice President of North American Gum Marketing. "Now people will get the best of both worlds in their favorite Eclipse gum and mints -- great taste and the ability to help kill germs that cause bad breath."

According to Wrigley scientist Dr. Michael Greenberg, the most common way to treat bad breath has been to mask it with flavor found in chewing gum and mints, or to kill the bacteria that cause bad breath with antimicrobial agents found in many mouthwashes or toothpastes.

"The antimicrobial agents found in many mouthwashes and toothpastes could never be used in gum and mints because of poor taste, possible tooth staining, and over-the-counter drug classification," said Greenberg. "Wrigley's research pertaining to MBE, which was published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry last November, demonstrated that MBE helps kill the bacteria that cause bad breath, and also Streptococcus mutans, the bacteria involved in tooth decay. But unlike agents found in mouthwash, it can be fully incorporated into food-based mints and chewing gum for killing bacteria that cause bad breath. That was a major step forward in enabling us to further develop these great-tasting and effective germ-killing products."