date:Jun 27, 2012
Wrigley's patent now stands invalid, despite one dissenting judgement, however Cadbury's is not able to extend its patent either.
Both gum manufacturers had been looking at ways to give gum a cooling sensation beyond simply adding menthol, which can give overly powerful peppermint flavours and bitterness.
During the 1970s and 1980s Wilkinson-Sword developed two physiological cooling agents without the drawbacks of menthol: WS-3 and WS-23.
Cadbury owns a US patent for a menthol/WS-3 combo used