Hershey's Gum & Mint Products Are Getting Boost From "GLP-1 Breath"

Reports of bad breath from drugs like Ozempic are helping fuel sales.

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During Hershey’s recent first-quarter earnings call, CEO Kirk Tanner reported that their gums and mint products have been seeing a boost from the rise of GLP-1 appetite suppressants. Apparently, users are consuming more breath-freshening treats to fight concerns of bad breath caused by the drugs, which some refer to as “Ozempic breath.” And on that call, Tanner reported that Hershey’s Ice Breakers mints had risen 8 percent over the previous quarter.

What is GLP-1 breath?

While halitosis (bad breath) isn’t a listed side effect of GLP-1 drugs, there are a lot of anecdotal reports of patients suffering from it. A Healthline article on the subject describes “Ozempic breath” as containing a fishy smell that comes out in burps or general bad breath. However, the article lays more of the blame on burps, as the drug delays your gastric system from emptying quickly, allowing food to ferment, and causing sulfur-like burps.

But whatever’s causing it, there doesn’t seem to be an easy fix for it besides chewing a lot of gum and mints. Which must sound particularly sweet to Hershey’s bottom line.

If you’re looking for the best mints to combat GLP-1 breath or just regular old bad breath, we did a taste test to find them. And if you’re looking for gum, we have a ranking of the best sugar-free gum to chew.