The revelation by the nation's largest candy maker came a week after the criticism surfaced about Ice Breakers Pacs, although a Hershey spokesman would not specify the exact concerns that prompted the company to act.
"It was certainly never our intention to create any confusion with this product," company spokesman Kirk Saville said. "We take consumer and community feedback very seriously and are acting quickly to address concerns."
Ice Breakers Pacs, which first hit store shelves last month, are nickel-sized dissolvable pouches with a powdered sweetener inside.
The pouches come in blue or orange and bear the Ice Breakers logo.
Hershey has said that the mints were never intended to resemble anything - but the similarity was so striking that longtime veterans of Philadelphia's police narcotics squad were fooled when they saw the mints.
Philadelphia police Chief Inspector William Blackburn last week charged that the mints glorify the drug trade. And he warned that the resemblance could have consequences if, for example, a child familiar with the mints finds a heat-sealed bag of cocaine.
"If Hershey is considering changes, that's a good thing, that's the prudent thing to do," Blackburn said Friday. "And that's what we wanted - we wanted to prevent a tragedy."
Philadelphia narcotics officer Linda Wagner said she's grateful Hershey is reconsidering the design.
Wagner, whose daughter died of a drug overdose in 2001, said she sent letters to several elected officials - including Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell - and Hershey's president and chief executive David J. West.
"Please do the prudent thing and remove this product," she wrote. "Please, your company has a long history of public service to the community."
After Philadelphia police went public with their concerns, they heard from law enforcement agencies from as far away as Kansas City, Blackburn said.
Saville wouldn't say whether the company has been contacted by any law enforcement officials about the appearance of the mints.
On the Net:
Ice Breakers Pacs: http://www.hersheys.com/icebreakers/pacs
