What is chewing gum made of

Sweeteners are often added to chewing gum to create a sweet flavour, and more intensive sweeteners are intended for prolonging the sweetness effect. The most popular synthetic sweeteners are aspartame, acesulfame-K, saccharine, sucralose, neohesperidine and dihydrichalcone. It is worth noting that there has been some controversy over aspartame being used, despite being deemed safe by food regulators in the UK, EU and US. Over the years, there have been concerns that it can be linked to problematic side-effects and more serious conditions, such as cancer.

Softeners, such as glycerine or vegetable oil are added to chewing gum to retain moisture and increasing flexibility of the gum. It is these ingredients used which help to soften the gum when placed into the warmth of your mouth and creating the characteristic chewing gum texture. Flavours are added to chewing gum for taste appeal and can be either natural or synthetic. The most popular chewing gum flavours include the classic Peppermint and Spearmint ; however food acids can be added to the gum base to provide other appealing flavours such as Lemon or fruity alternatives.

This polyol coating is easily broken down once placed in the mouth due to a mixture of saliva and warm conditions. Most of the chewing gum made today is made using gum base, which includes a mixture of polymers, plasticisers and resins, and mixed together with food-grade softeners, preservatives, sweeteners, colours and flavourings. However, there are now a range of alternative gums on the market, in order to appeal to the environment and our stomachs more, due to being plant-based and suitable for vegans.

Chewing gum is basically plastic doped with flavours and colourings. It is non-digestible and water insoluble, which means you can carry on gnashing away at the stuff and it never seems to break down.

This indestructible property comes from the gum base, the exact ingredients of which are usually a trade secret.

However they generally contain:. Although the amount of mercury is minute, you wouldn't want to contaminate your system with mercury, however small. The foregoing discussion highlights the composition, varieties and health hazards of chewing gums. Although primarily the deleterious effects of chewing gums have been highlighted, it may be added that chewing a piece of gum after a meal could be a healthy habit - the saliva released helps to clean the teeth and the flavour can add freshness to the breath!

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