J&J vs. Pfizer Listerine Breath Strips
The Listerine brand was recently purchased from Pfizer by Johnson & Johnson.
The statement by the companies today followed a four-month auction involving GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Bayer AG and Reckitt Benckiser Plc. Pfizer said it will use the money to increase share buybacks and develop new drugs as it faces generic rivals on $9 billion in medicines within two years. J&J said the deal adds products, like Listerine mouthwash, that will compliment J&J’s existing brands, such as the Reach toothbrushes.
Aspartame, the only noticeable difference when comparing the two ingredient lists, appears to produce a “burnt plastic” taste in the COOL MINT® Listerine PocketPaks.
Have you noticed a difference in taste in the Johnson & Johnson Listerine strips? Let us know.
PRISCILIANO BARRAGAN
July 22nd, 2011 at 11:17 am
Is Listerine Strips using sugar? because in the Morning when using my blood is going up in around 10 minutes after disolving stripe in my mouth. Please reply asap.
wilterp2003
July 11th, 2011 at 2:17 pm
Why aren’t we seeing Stevia as a sweetener in products like these. I would feel safer consuming them. There was a plan to have Stevia in Diet Coke products by now; that never happened. I have given up a four decade habit that began with Tab back in the 70′s. I’ve done the same with gum chewing. I suspect it’s pressure in the form of $$$$$$ applied by the companies who profit from the artificial sweetener business.
LINDA CLAWSON
July 7th, 2011 at 7:08 am
Is there an experation date on the packets? Should I use them if they are OLD?
Carl
June 8th, 2011 at 10:36 am
It doesn’t really matter here in the UK as there just not available at all now. except some wags on ebay trying to sell them for £5 per pack!! Really disappointed about the taste comments as a while ago there were many different types of these and they all tasted icky except for the Listerine ones. now my last bulk purchase is nearly run out I don’t know what to do :(
Gary Fitzgerald
May 30th, 2011 at 4:16 pm
Tried Fresh Burst Lot #2880LZ 1–they were great
Then tried Cool Mint Lot#3140LZ 2–they sucked! Would not buy them again on a dare!
BTorres
March 2nd, 2011 at 4:12 pm
I just purchased a three pack of the Fresh Burst strips.
I bought the cools mint ones once and did not like the flavor, this is better, spearmint.
Can’t say that I feel an aftertaste as I was not a regular user.
The only thing I did not like is that I had to buy three, when I wanted just one to try them out.
Paul Tinsley
August 22nd, 2010 at 4:27 pm
I have been using the Cool Mint Listerine Mouthwash daily for over a year now and I am starting to taste a burnt plastic in my mouth almost all of the time. I think I should stop using it as the aftertaste is getting worse.
Jenny
June 3rd, 2010 at 1:51 pm
The J&J taste is a bit different. I still love my Cool Mint Listerine Strips, but I don’t go through them quite as quickly. I definitely liked the Pfizer flavor better. Also, I avoid aspartame as much as possible. Although not PKU, I have specific health issues related to aspartame. Please change back to the original recipe with sucralose!
rclopp
May 3rd, 2010 at 12:27 pm
Just compared the old and new pkgs. the pfizer manufactured strips are sweetened with sucralose, not aspartame. And yes there is a difference in the way they taste. The new ones have a bad flavor to them. Hope J&J goes back to the original formula.
KattyBlackyard
June 15th, 2009 at 2:35 am
The article is very good. Write please more
KrisBelucci
June 2nd, 2009 at 11:44 am
Hi, good post. I have been wondering about this issue,so thanks for posting.
Eric O'Keefe
May 24th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
I just bought my Stop & Shop out of Pfizer bulk Listerine Strips. Somebody needs to fix the Johnson & Johnson recipe!
Emily Brown
May 14th, 2009 at 8:07 am
There is another difference in the ingredients. Pfizer packaging says “Phenylketonurics: Contains phenylalanine”, while the Johnson & Johnson versions do not.
Bitter Taste
May 14th, 2009 at 8:05 am
The new Listerine strips taste so bad, I may cut back to one pack a day