Are Altoids Vegan? What You Need to Know About Vegan Mints

You might be thinking, Of course, mints are vegan. But beware—these cruelly obtained ingredients lurk in some mints:

• Gelatin (which is produced from animal skin, tendons, cartilage, ligaments, and/or bones)
• Shellac (also known as “confectioner’s glaze,” made from the resinous excretions of certain insects)
• Carmine (red pigment from crushed female cochineal insects)
• Beeswax (the wax that bees secrete when making honeycombs)

And there’s nothing fresh or minty about that. So which breath fresheners are safe to consume? Check it out:

Are Altoids Vegan?

Unfortunately, original Altoids (Cinnamon, Spearmint, Peppermint, and Wintergreen flavors) contain gelatin …

… so steer clear of those.

Are Tic Tacs Vegan?

According to the nutrition facts on tictacusa.com, Tic Tac mints sold in the U.S. are currently vegan—yes, that includes the Freshmints and überpopular orange flavors!

Be sure to double-check the lists of ingredients to make sure that what you’re buying is animal-friendly. In addition to steering clear of gelatin, avoid carmine, carminic acid, and shellac, which are made by harming or killing beetles and other insects and have been known to appear on Tic Tac ingredients lists in the U.K. and elsewhere.

Are Mentos Vegan?

The only Mentos Chewy Mints flavor that’s vegan is Green Apple. The other seven flavors contain beeswax.

Mentos Mints—the CleanBreath and NOWmints in both Peppermint and Wintergreen—are vegan, too.

Other vegan mint options include the following:

• Simply Natural Organic Breath Mints (Cinnamon, Peppermint, and Wintergreen flavors)
• Simply Gum (Peppermint, Ginger, and Cinnamon flavors)

Check out our list of animal-friendly toothpastes, too, for even fresher breath.

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