mentos

How ethical is mentos?

mentos is a brand of sweets owned by Perfetti Van Melle B.V., which has a below-benchmark score on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Sweets Ratings Table.

Although mentos has not yet met our ethical benchmark, we hope to see the brand make progress in the future.

We would have extra confidence in mentos if it submitted itself to apply for Ethical Accreditation, whereby The Good Shopping Guide would make further detailed assessment and recommendations for ethical improvement.

Find out more about the ethical issues facing the Sweets sector and see how other brands score in our Ethical Sweets Ratings Table.

What does mentos do?

mentos is a brand of hard-shelled chewy sweets known as scotch mints. The brand was created in 1932 and is now owned by Italian-Dutch company Perfetti Van Melle.

In which areas does mentos perform poorly?

Despite mentos making progress, there is still room for improvement. mentos was marked down under our criteria for Palm Oil and GMO usage, due to a lack of available information in these areas. It also scored a middle rating for its Environmental Report as the brand’s Sustainability page is not as detailed as we expect from such a large company.

Find out more about how we rate by exploring our ethical criteria.

Past Criticisms of mentos’ record

A survey by Break Free From Plastic found that mentos’ parent company was one of the top ten plastic polluters in the world for two years in a row. Perfetti Van Melle has also been named in a report by Changing Markets Foundation as a company guilty of greenwashing due to its claims regarding its packaging.

In which areas does mentos score well for its ethics?

We found no negative records relating to Nuclear or Fossil Fuels, Armaments or Animal Welfare, so it also scores well for these criteria.

How can mentos improve its ethical rating?

The below-benchmark score that mentos is awarded on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Sweets Ratings Table is the result of an evaluation of multiple ethical criteria.

To reach our minimum ethical benchmark and qualify for Ethical Accreditation, mentos has some issues to resolve, including  its lack of an Environmental Report or statements relating to palm oil and GMO ingredients. It could also have its products certified as vegetarian.

If it applies for Ethical Accreditation, The Good Shopping Guide will be able to give mentos some guidance to improve on these areas.

Were you aware that your brand could benefit from Ethical Accreditation? Brands accredited by The Good Shopping Guide can display our ethical mark, showcasing to consumers that it is an ethical and sustainable brand.

If you’re interested in learning more about how to attain Ethical Accreditation, please contact us or complete a Free Initial Assessment form.