Why does chewing gum packaging list “gum base” as an ingredient?

Food labelling laws and regulations generally require that ingredients be declared using names that are commonly understood and recognized in the markets where the products are sold. “Gum base” is the widely accepted term that chewing gum manufacturers use in accordance with food labelling laws in the ingredient list for the component of chewing gum that provides its chewable texture. For this reason, it appears on chewing gum labels as the standard designation. Chewing gum base is not unique in this respect. Other categories of food ingredients, such as flavors and vegetable oils, are commonly identified in the ingredients lists on food labels by category names.