Quality & Safety

What’s in your gum and why it’s safe?

Chewing gum is enjoyed worldwide in many forms – sugar-free, sugared, pellet, stick – but the one constant is safety. Ingredients used in gum are subject to rigorous review by global food safety authorities such as EFSA, and the FDA . Whether it’s the gum base, sweeteners, or flavours, all components are food-grade and meet strict standards for consumer safety. This section explains what goes into gum, how it’s regulated, and why consumers can trust the product they’re chewing.

$ What's in your gum

$ Standards and regulation

$ Related FAQs

What’s in Your Gum

Formulated with care. Approved worldwide.

Gum contains four core ingredient groups, each carefully selected to deliver quality, flavour, and function:

1. Sweeteners

Gum may contain traditional sugars, sugar alcohols like xylitol, or high-intensity sweeteners like acesulfame-K and aspartame. All are reviewed and authorised by regulatory agencies.

2. Flavours

Natural or synthetic, flavourings are tested for safety and approved for use at specific levels in food.

3. Gum base

The chewable part of gum, made from food-grade polymers, waxes, and softeners. Every manufacturer uses a proprietary formulation, but all ingredients must meet national and international food ingredient requirements.

4. Colours

(if used) Added for visual appeal, all colourants used in gum are food-approved and meet purity standards.

Both sugar-free and sugared gums are safe for consumption, and their formulations comply with applicable food legislation across global markets.

Standards & Global Regulation

One category.
Global standards.

Chewing gum is regulated by food authorities around the world. ICGA works to support harmonised standards and science-led regulation that ensure consistency across markets. The industry monitors regulatory developments in all major regions to keep up with the policy evolution, provides updates and a discussion forum to its members and actively contributes to technical working groups and standard-setting processes. From labelling to ingredient authorisation, ICGA members commit to meeting the highest global benchmarks for food quality and safety.

FAQs

Is there a risk of choking when chewing gum?

As with many food products, parental supervision is recommended when gum is consumed by children. Young children may not have developed proper chewing habits, so it is generally advised that very young children do not consume chewing gum.

Is chewing gum safe to swallow?

Chewing gum is not intended to be swallowed, but if accidentally ingested, it generally passes through the digestive system without harm.

Does chewing gum contain microplastics?

Microplastics are not intentionally added to or used as ingredients in chewing gum. ICGA is aware of preliminary, method development studies that have explored ways to determine whether microplastic type particles may be released during chewing. To date, ICGA is not aware of any validated studies or methods for detecting or quantifying microplastic particles present in or released from chewing gum.

Is there research associating chewing gum with microplastics?

Preliminary studies have looked at whether chewing gum may release microplastic-type particles. One pilot study at the University of California, Los Angeles reported that both so-called natural and synthetic gum products released similar levels of particles. Another study conducted at Queen’s University Belfast also explored this question. However, these studies were small in scale and carried out using methods that have not been validated, which means the results cannot be considered conclusive. ICGA follows scientific developments closely and welcomes independent research that helps ensure discussions remain based on robust evidence. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), trace levels of microplastics are found across the entire food chain, including in most common food products, and in water and air. In that context, trace amounts may also be expected in chewing gum. Importantly, food safety authorities such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have stated that “current scientific evidence does not demonstrate that levels of microplastics or nanoplastics detected in foods pose a risk to human health.” Similarly, the WHO has stated that “limited data provide little evidence that [nano- and microplastic particles] have adverse effects in humans.”

Does chewing gum contain plastic?

Chewing gum does not contain intentionally added plastic microbeads or industrial grade plastics (such as those used in ‘’bicycle tires’’ or ‘’wood glue’’). The comparison to plastics used in industrial products is misleading. All ingredients used in chewing gum must be food grade and are subject to safety standards and regulations that are not applicable to industrial products.