Origin: China. CHEM101 - GARLIC BREATH Does the chemistry of garlic offer any help when it comes to dealing with garlic breath? Believe it or not, a major component of garlic breath is attributable to various chemical relatives of skunk spray (eg, methanethiol) that persist in the mouth. Another component (methyl allyl sulphide) is apparently generated by garlic as it passes through the digestive system & peaks in the breath between 6 & 18 hours after the meal. Residual thiols in the mouth can be transformed into odorless molecules by the browning enzymes in many fruits & vegetables, so eating a salad or an apple will help. Mouthwashes that contain strong oxidizing agents (eg, chloramines) are also effective. Sulphides from the digestive system, however, are probably beyond our reach!