‘Ozempic Breath’ Is Fueling an Unexpected Boom in Snack Sales

A surprising increase in sales of mints and gum at Hershey is being attributed to a novel phenomenon: “Ozempic breath,” an increasingly common complaint among users of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs.

The Pennsylvania candymaker reports that retail sales of Ice Breakers, Hershey’s third-largest confection, increased 8 percent in the first quarter.

Prior to the company’s earnings conference call on Thursday, chief executive officer Kirk Tanner said the “strong demand” for breath fresheners and gum is a benefit of “functional snacking tailwinds, including GLP-1 adoption.”

The minty sales bump, coupled with a 17 percent increase in sales of protein bars, boosted Hershey’s quarterly revenue more than 10 percent, Tanner said.

While halitosis, a.k.a. bad breath, is not officially listed as a side effect of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegs, and Mounjaro, there’s mounting evidence that candy companies are benefiting from GLP-1 users’ desire to mask their breath and take a more refined approach to snacking.

Last month, the Swiss chocolate maker Lindt & Spruengli reported that sales of premium chocolate to GLP-1 users in the United States rose by almost 17 percent in 2025, compared to a more modest 6.5 percent sales increase among chocolate lovers who are not taking weight-loss medicine. An internal study commissioned by the company revealed that the 15 percent of U.S. households using GLP-1 drugs now account for 17.5 of the company’s chocolate sales.

The trend runs counter to initial confectioner expectations that the growing popularity of GLP-1 products would lead to a sales dip as users with suppressed appetites steer clear of high-calorie snacks like candy, cookies, and potato chips.