Ice Breakers Pacs
Gone. Shelves emptied in early 2008, less than three months after launch, and the pouch format never returned in any form. The rest of the Ice Breakers line shook it off without a scratch.
Last verified Nov 6, 2026
Nickel-sized dissolvable pouches of powdered sweetener between two mint strips. Hershey saw a breath mint; Philadelphia police saw a dime bag with a logo, and said so on the news.
Filed under: Candy & Gum · the ’00s & later
📅 Timeline
- 2007Ice Breakers Pacs reached shelves in November: nickel-sized dissolvable pouches holding powdered xylitol sweetener between two mint strips, in blue and orange slide-up cases.
- 2007Within weeks Philadelphia police brass went public — "It glorifies the drug trade," said Chief Inspector William Blackburn — while Hershey's spokesman insisted the design simulated nothing.
- 2008On January 24, CEO David J. West announced on Hershey's earnings call that the company would no longer manufacture the Pacs; remaining stock sold through early in the year.
❓ People also ask
Why were Ice Breakers Pacs discontinued?
Police and politicians said the dissolvable pouches looked like street-drug baggies. Hershey defended the design for about six weeks, then CEO David West announced the end himself on the January 2008 earnings call: "We are sensitive to these viewpoints."
How long were Ice Breakers Pacs on sale?
Under three months as a national product — November 2007 to the January 24, 2008 kill announcement, with shelves emptying soon after.
Did Ice Breakers Pacs ever come back?
No. The pouch format never returned in any form, and the current Ice Breakers lineup has nothing like it. The rest of the brand carried on unharmed.
🧾 Sources
- Associated Press (via NBC News), Hershey stops making mints in coke-like packs (2008)
- Associated Press (via Lincoln Daily News), New Hershey's mints draw police complaints (2007)
- Philadelphia Inquirer, Production halted on drug look-alike mint (2008)
- Manufacturing.net, Hershey Stops Making Ice Breaker Pacs (2008)