Tic Tac facts for kids
 |
|
 |
|
| Type | Breath mints |
|---|---|
| Owner | Ferrero |
| Country | Italy |
| Introduced | 1969 |
| Markets | Worldwide |
Tic Tac is a popular brand of small, hard mints. They are made by an Italian company called Ferrero. Tic Tacs were first created in 1969. Today, you can find them in many different flavours in over 100 countries around the world.
Tic Tacs usually come in clear plastic boxes. These boxes have a special lid that flips open and closed. When they first came out, the Tic Tacs themselves were coloured to match their flavour. Now, in many places, the boxes are coloured, but the mints inside are often white.
Tic Tac has often advertised that their mints have very few calories. Most flavours have about 1.9 calories per mint. This makes them a light and refreshing treat.
Contents
The Story of Tic Tac
Tic Tacs were first made by Ferrero in 1969. Back then, they were called "Refreshing Mints." In 1970, their name was changed to Tic Tac. This new name came from the fun clicking sound the box makes when you open and close it.
Over the years, many new flavours have been added. Besides the first mint and orange flavours, there have been aniseed, cinnamon, and a mix of orange and lime. Other flavours include spearmint, peppermint, sour apple, and many fruit flavours like mandarin, tangerine, berry, strawberry, cherry, passionfruit, pomegranate, mango, and lime. There was even a popcorn flavour in 2014!
One grape flavour was stopped in 1976. This was because of concerns about a red dye used in it.
Tic Tac also makes special holiday packs. You can find them for Christmas, Easter, St Patricks Day, and Valentine's Day.
Since 1980, the Tic Tac slogan in the United States has been "The 1½ Calorie Breath Mint." In other countries like the UK and Australia, the slogan says Tic Tacs are "less than two calories." In Canada and New Zealand, the slogan is "It's not just a mint, it's a Tic Tac." In India, they say "Refreshment to be shared."
In the 1990s, "double packs" were introduced. These boxes had two different flavours inside. Some combinations were Tangerine and Lime, Orange and Grape, and Berry and Cherry.
In 2006, Tic Tac launched a "Bold" edition. These mints had stronger flavours like Mint and Fruit.
In 2008, Tic Tac Chill came out. These mints are a bit bigger than regular Tic Tacs. Their boxes have two ways to open: the usual flip lid or a sliding front. Tic Tac Chill comes in flavours like Exotic Cherry, Berry Blast, and Paradise Mint. These mints are also sugar-free.
Tic Tac sometimes creates special limited editions for movies and TV shows. For example, they made a banana and mandarin flavour for the 2015 Minions movie. Orange Tic Tacs were also shown a lot in the 2007 movie Juno. There have also been special The Simpsons themed Tic Tacs with unique flavours. In 2020, Tic Tac released a limited edition Coca-Cola flavour, and in 2023, a Sprite flavour.
Where Tic Tacs Are Made
A big part of the world's Tic Tacs are made in the Ferrero factory in Cork, Ireland. About 35% of all Tic Tacs come from this factory.
Tic Tacs are also made in other countries. These include Australia, Canada, India, and Ecuador.
What's Inside Tic Tacs
| Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
|---|---|
| Energy | 1,663 kJ (397 kcal) |
|
97.5 g
|
|
|
0.4 g
|
|
|
Protein
|
0.1 g
|
| †Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults. | |
Here's a look at what's in Tic Tacs, based on the Fresh mint flavour in Europe/US/Canada and Peppermint in Australia.
Nutritional Information
- Per 100 grams: Energy 1663 kJ (397 kcal), Protein 0.1 g, Carbohydrate 97.5 g, Fat 0.4 g.
- Per single Tic Tac: Energy 8 kJ (2 kcal), Protein 0 g, Carbohydrate 0.5 g, Fat 0 g.
Ingredients
The main ingredients in Tic Tacs are Sugar, fructose, and maltodextrin. They also contain peppermint essential oil for flavour. Other ingredients include rice starch, gum arabic, and a glazing agent called carnauba wax.
A typical pack of Tic Tacs weighs about 15 to 18 grams. This usually contains around 38 mints. Newer packs in Australia and Canada weigh 24 grams and have 50 Tic Tacs. The "100 pack" weighs 49 grams and has 100 mints. The "Big Pack" has 60 Tic Tacs and weighs 29 grams. The "Bottle Pack" is larger, weighing 98 grams with 200 Tic Tacs. In the UK, packs are 16.4 grams and contain 22 Tic Tacs.
In the United States, the sugar content for Tic Tacs is listed as 0 grams. This might seem strange because the mints are mostly sugar (about 90%). The reason is that a single Tic Tac is very small, weighing less than 0.5 grams. American food rules allow companies to list sugar as 0 grams if it's less than 0.5 grams per serving. Some labels now add a small note explaining "less than 0.5 g."
See also
In Spanish: Tic Tac (dulce) para niños
