This section contains a growing list of Frequently Asked Questions about chewing gum. We will be adding to this list as we receive new questions and answers.
What is chewing gum?
Chewing gum is made up of five basic ingredients -- gum base, flavorings and colorings, preservatives, sweeteners and softeners. (Gum base is the insoluble part of our product that puts the "chew" in chewing gum.)
This combination allows chewing gum, unlike any other food, to deliver chewing pleasure and flavor sensation that is released over an extended period of time. Add in various consumer benefits – ranging from oral care to stress reduction to calorie management – and it is easy to see why chewing gum is one of the most popular forms of confectionery worldwide.
What is gum base?
Gum base is what gives chewing gum its “chew.” It is made of a combination of food-grade polymers, waxes and softeners that give it the texture desired by consumers and enable it to effectively deliver sweetness, flavor and various other benefits, including dental benefits.
Is it true that chewing gum is good for oral hygiene?
Yes. It is widely accepted that chewing sugar-free gums is beneficial to oral hygiene, in addition to the use of traditional oral care tools, such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, and mouth wash. Additionally, the ingredients in sugar-free gum are not fermentable by oral bacteria, the main cause of cavities.
Saliva is your body's natural defense against tooth decay. It contains buffering agents that help neutralize the acid that causes cavities. When you chew gum, the acid is neutralized after only 20 minutes of chewing.
Does chewing gum contain only quality ingredients?
Only safe and approved ingredients are used in the manufacturing of chewing gum. Quality controls are in place during all phases of chewing gum production to ensure that the ingredients and the end products comply with the requirements and limits set by regulatory authorities and legislation.
Are all flavorings and additives used in chewing gum safe?
Flavorings, a key chewing gum ingredient, consist of many components, all of which are regulated to ensure their safety. Manufacturers ensure that all flavorings and additives used in chewing gum products comply with the comprehensive purity specifications established by applicable regulatory and legislative bodies and that all ingredients are safe to use.
Can chewing gum contain allergenic substances?
Chewing gum is composed of the following basic ingredients: gum base (the insoluble part of chewing gum that provides its chewing texture) sugars and sweeteners, flavorings, colors, glazing agents and other additives such as emulsifiers, anti-oxidants and gelling agents.
While almost every natural substance or ingredient may cause an allergic reaction in a consumer sensitive to that ingredient or substance, chewing gums do not typically contain any of the eight allergens which are estimated to cause more than 90% of all food allergic reactions – namely fish/shellfish, peanuts/tree nuts, eggs, milk, soy wheat, sesame and sulphite.
Are allergenic substances noted on the chewing gum label?
Yes. The chewing gum industry is committed to providing accurate and appropriate information through the labelling on packages to all its consumers, including listing the presence of allergens. All consumer packs have ingredients listed in compliance with local, national and international labelling and packaging requirements. The labelling is intended to enable consumers to make informed decisions about the products they choose.
Why is there no expiration date for chewing gums?
Chewing gum is a very stable product because of its non-reactive nature and its low moisture content. Because of this, chewing gum retains its quality for a longer time than most other food products – so long, in fact, that chewing gum is not required by law to be labeled with an expiration date in most countries. Chewing gum that is not used may over time become brittle and lose some of its good taste, but the product will remain safe to chew.
The absence of an expiration date simply means that chewing gum preserves its quality for longer than the period of time stipulated for an expiration date by domestic and international regulations.
Why is there a warning about laxative effects?
Some chewing gum labeling may contain a warning about possible laxative effect. When some sugar replacements such as maltitol and sorbitol are used in chewing gum, they may have a mild laxative effect, especially when over consumed. This moderate laxative effect is not harmful to the body
What steps have chewing gum manufacturers taken to ensure all the ingredients used in their products are safe?
The chewing gum industry’s priority is to manufacture safe and high-quality products that meet all domestic and international food regulations.
As a responsible industry, we monitor all developments that are relevant to our products and the ingredients we use. Further, we only use those ingredients that are authorized by domestic and international regulatory authorities and comply with the appropriate purity and safety regulations.
Are there harmful substances that may be extracted from chewing gum or gum base for an extended period of time?
No, there are no harmful substances that will be extracted from the chewing gum or gum base while chewing. Chewing gum consists of soluble compounds that dissolve while being chewed, and the gum base, or insoluble compounds, which do not dissolve. Gum base is not intended to be ingested, and the extraction of gum base components by chewing is virtually insignificant.
Are there preservatives in chewing gum?
A wide range of food ingredients and additives are used to make chewing gum so that manufacturers can offer the widest possible spectrum of product types to meet consumer tastes and needs.
Chewing gum manufacturers ensure that only additives, flavors and colors authorized by domestic and international regulations are used in chewing gum, so that consumers have a variety of safe chewing gum products to choose from and enjoy.
Can chewing gum contain animal derived ingredients?
Chewing gum generally does not contain animal derived ingredients. There are a few exceptions to this as a limited number of animal ingredients occasionally may be used in some products to achieve certain characteristics, for example texture or color.
Gelatine is one example of an animal derived ingredient which is used because it gives a specific texture to chewing gum, in particular to pellet gum. When animal derived ingredients are used in chewing gum, they are used in compliance with all appropriate safety and quality standards and they are clearly indicated on the product package in full compliance with domestic and international labeling regulations.
Can chewing gum contain alcohol?
For background, the sugar alcohols found in gum products and the ethyl alcohol found in liquor are two unrelated compounds. Although they share the same chemical name, "alcohol," their characteristics are quite different. Therefore, because of these differences, people who need to watch their ethyl alcohol intake need not be concerned about consuming chewing gum.
Does chewing gum contain acrylamide?
Chewing gum is very unlikely to contain any amount of acrylamide since chewing gums lack both the temperature and the carbohydrate groups that promote the formation of acrylamide.
Acrylamide is formed in food as a result of the reaction between specific amino acids and sugars. It is generally found in foods that are rich in starch and fat and are cooked at higher temperatures and for longer cooking times. At present, the possible risk to public health is unclear.
What is aspartame?
Aspartame is a food additive used in chewing gum as a sweetener and flavor enhancer. Aspartame has been safely used over 20 years by 250 million consumers worldwide. Following extensive review of its safety by regulatory and scientific authorities, it is approved for use in over 100 countries around the world.
What are the risks of choking while chewing gum?
Any food consumed may, in exceptional circumstances, present a choking hazard. Chewing gum is no different from any other food in this respect.
Chewing gum is not designed to be swallowed. Chewing gum is made of five basic ingredients – sugar or sugar-free sweeteners, glucose syrup, softeners, flavors and gum base (the insoluble part that puts the “chew” in chewing gum). The first four ingredients are soluble and are extracted from the gum as you chew. Gum base, however, is not. If gum is swallowed, the gum base simply passes through one’s system as other roughage does. This normally takes only a few days.
Is gum safe to swallow?
Gum is not designed to be swallowed; but if it is, it simply passes through one’s system as other roughage does within a few days. We know that a very small percentage of chewers choose to swallow the gum.
Has anyone ever choked to death on one of your products? Wouldn’t even one be one too many?
Not as far as we are aware. The International Chewing Gum Association understands that incidents may of course arise, but that they are extremely rare. Under exceptional circumstances, chewing or eating anything – from apples to a toffee – could be dangerous.
Of course, even one incident would be tragic, but you can’t ban all foods or confectionery items that might possibly cause choking. It is also important to keep any such tragic accident in perspective – hundreds of millions of people enjoy chewing gum around the world each year, and we are unaware of any fatal choking incidents to date.
What age do you recommend children be before they chew gum?
The chewing gum industry does not promote consumption by very small children. There are no specific guidelines on when a child can start chewing gum -- each child's development is unique and variable. Ultimately, the parent or custodian is responsible for deciding at what age, and under what conditions, their children can consume any foodstuff or candy, including chewing gum, and to ensure that they are aware of and understand any potential choking hazards.
The main point to consider is whether the child knows the concept chewing without swallowing and do they have a general understanding of the risks and consequences of choking.
Can discarded chewing gum cuds transmit viruses?
It is extremely unlikely.
In general, viruses are readily inactivated by heating and drying, and do not survive in an external environment without a host organism. Discarded gum cud from an infected individual would be expected to dry quickly in the environment, has a low organic content that would not sustain the viability of the organism and is not likely to be picked up and chewed by anyone else. For all practical purposes, gum cud would be an extremely unlikely means of transmitting a virus to a human.
How can I best get gum unstuck if it ends up where it doesn't belong?
From Clothing:
For washable clothing, try scraping off any excess gum with a dull knife and then rubbing the area with ice until the remaining gum rolls off into a ball.
Another method is to seal the dry garment in a plastic bag and place it in the freezer. After the garment is frozen, remove and gently scrape with a dull knife.
There are also natural solvent extracts from citrus peels which may work. Be sure to test the solvent on an inconspicuous area of your garment first to ensure color fastness, and read all the manufacturer's instructions before use.
You can also try using an extra strength deep-heating rub. Evenly spread the deep-heating rub on the opposite side of the gum residue. Heat the area covered with the rub with a blow dryer for 30 seconds. Immediately after turning off the dryer, the gum residue should easily peel off. Your garment should then be laundered as usual.
From Carpet:
First, try scraping any excess gum off your carpet with a dull knife and then rubbing the area with ice until the remaining gum rolls off into a ball.
You might try using an extra strength deep-heating rub to remove the gum. First, heat the gum residue on your carpet with a blow dryer for one or two minutes. Then, using four-inch squares of plastic (sandwich bags will work nicely) remove as much gum as possible. You may have to apply more heat if the gum hardens. Continue to use the plastic squares to remove the gum. This part of the process should remove 80% of the gum residue.
Next, spread half a teaspoon of the extra strength deep-heating rub evenly over the remaining gum residue. Heat with a blow dryer set on high for 30 seconds. After turning off the dryer, immediately use the plastic squares in a circular motion (alternating between clockwise and counter-clock wise movements) to remove any residual stain. Then apply a mild detergent and water solution with paper towels or a cloth rag, and allow the area to air dry.
It is important that you try a small amount of the deep-heating rub on an inconspicuous area of your carpet first to ensure color fastness. Be sure to keep deep-heating rub out of the reach of children and follow all safety precautions as recommended by the manufacturer.
From Hair:
Natural solvent extracts from citrus peels often work well to remove gum from hair. Be sure to read all the manufacturer's instructions before use. If a citrus peel solvent is not available, mineral oil, cooking oil or peanut butter sometimes work. Add a small amount and kneed the gum with your fingers in order to soften and disperse gum, pull out gradually as gum softens, then rinse with soap and water. These products are helpful, but may leave a residue and require shampooing of the hair after the gum removal is completed.
From Concrete Sidewalks, Patios or Other Hard Surfaces:
When simple scraping is not enough, many commercial organizations and municipalities have found use of a power washer to be effective in removing chewing gum from hard surfaces. Warm water under pressure - with or without solvents - yields the best results.