What Ingredients Are in Mentos?

Mentos, the self-proclaimed "FreshMaker," originated as a hard mint with a chewy center. Over the years, Mentos has evolved to include fruit flavors, sour flavors, sugar-free options and mint gum. Mentos also gained notoriety as an Internet phenomenon when a collection of videos appeared showing people combining Mentos and diet cola to form a geyser-like eruption of soda into the air. This is caused by the cola's carbon dioxide mixing with the porous holes in the outer shell of the Mentos.

Mint Mentos has the least complex ingredient list because it has no sugar substitutes or flavor additive compounds. The sugar and wheat glucose syrup provides the sweetness. Note that wheat glucose syrup is a derivative of wheat, so those with Celiac disease should avoid Mint Mentos. For the structure and texture of Mint Mentos, various starches, gums and hydrogenated coconut oils are used.

The ingredients of Mint Mentos are sugar, wheat glucose syrup, hydrogenated coconut oil, rice starch, gum arabic, sucrose esters of fatty acids, gellan gum and natural flavors.

Cool Mint Sugar-Free Mentos obtains sweetness from a variety of sugar substitutes, mainly isomalt, maltitol syrup, mannitol, polydextrose, sorbitol and sucralose. The gums, gelatins and hydrogenated coconut oils give structure to the candy. The mono- and diglycerides help mix the ingredients. Color and glazing agents help improve the appearance of the mints.

The ingredients that are in Cool Mint Sugar-Free Mentos are isomalt, maltitol syrup, mannitol, hydrogenated coconut oil, polydextrose, sorbitol, gelatin, gum arabic, mono- and diglycerides of edible fatty acids, sucralose, sucrose esters of fatty acids, dextrin, natural and artificial flavors, titanium dioxide, as a color; and carnauba wax and beeswax, as glazing agents.

Fruit Mentos attains a sweet and fruity flavor from sugar, wheat glucose syrup and citric acid. Celiac-disease patients should avoid Fruit Mentos due to the wheat glucose content. For structure and stability, Fruit Mentos uses various starches, gums and hydrogenated coconut oils. An assortment of colors, carnauba and beeswax give Fruit Mentos the colorful and glossy outer shell.

The ingredients used to create Fruit Mentos are sugar, wheat glucose syrup, hydrogenated coconut oil, citric acid, rice starch, gum arabic, gellan gum, sucrose esters of fatty acids, natural and artificial flavors; carmine, paprika oleoresin, beta-carotene and beetroot red as colors; and carnauba wax and beeswax, as glazing agents.

Sour Green Apple Mentos uses sugar, glucose syrup, malic acid and citric acid for sweet flavors. Tartaric acid is the main ingredient causing the sour flavor. Various starches, gums and hydrogenated coconut oils are used for structure and stability. Artificial colors and glazing agents contribute to the color and gloss on the outer shell of the candy.

The ingredients included to create Sour Green Apple Mentos are sugar, glucose syrup, gum arabic, hydrogenated coconut oil, malic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid, manioc starch, artificial flavors, gellan gum, sucrose esters of fatty acids; yellow 5, lake blue 1 and blue 1, as artificial colors; and carnauba wax and shellac, as glazing agents.