A new range of sweets that could help improve children’s dental health are about to hit shops in the UK next week; the sugar-free sweets called Tingz are designed to help reduce plaque and tooth decay. The treats contain a naturally occurring sweetener called xylitol and have been accredited by the British Dental Health Foundation; they will be launched at the IFE food and drink exhibition in London and will soon be available from retailers such as Ocado and Whole Foods Market.
Tingz are manufactured by the company Peppersmith, which also sells sugar-free mints and gums; the co-founder Dan Shrimpton spoke to trade magazine The Grocer, saying ‘The concept of great tasting sweets that are good for you is a bit of a shock but once retailers have seen and tasted them, they have appreciated that Tingz is a cracking piece of innovation.’
Thanks to recent investment into Peppersmith, the company has been able to arrange a big launch for Tingz, with marketing activity focusing on education and sampling for consumers. After natural sweetener xylitol was revealed in the media last December, Peppersmith has seen a huge rise in sales of products containing the substance, claiming that orders on Amazon are up a staggering 8000%. Health chain Holland & Barrett also revealed that some xylitol products were selling in greater numbers, in some cases up 350% on the same period the previous year.