What is chewing gum made of?

Chewing gum is a kind of chewing snack that people like to eat. Eating a piece of chewing gum after a meal or on important occasions can effectively relieve the odor in the mouth and avoid being embarrassed by bad breath. There are more and more types and flavors of chewing gum on the market now. Chewing gum is composed of ester gum matrix and other ingredients such as sugar, and will not cause any harm to the body.

1. Ester gum matrix

(1) Chicle gum. The ester gum base of chewing gum is made by exploiting the properties of chicle, which is obtained from the sap of the red pine tree. Most of the world's chicle production comes from Mexico and Honduras.

The main components of saccharide gum resin are eucommia gum (polyisoprene) and resin (composed of triterpenes and sterols). By properly combining the elasticity of eucommia gum and the plasticity of resin, the soft chewing feeling of chewing gum can be obtained.

(2) Processing chicle gum matrix. Processed chicle refers to chicle mixed with other natural gums or with vinyl acetate resin, plasticizer, calcium carbonate, etc. and a matrix mixed with various other ingredients. Among the natural gums that can be used as substitutes for chicle, the most famous is the jelutong produced in Java, Sumatra and Borneo. As for other gums, their output is small and their industrial value is also small.

(3) Polyvinyl acetate. After the war, Japan used polyvinyl acetate as a chewing gum base and regarded it as a representative raw material. Polyvinyl acetate should preferably have a degree of polymerization of 200 to 700, and preferably have a relatively low degree of polymerization and a branched molecular structure. This will make the finished product soft and chewy. The polymerization rate for bubble gum should be 500-600, and that for plate chewing gum should be 200-400. In short, the higher the degree of polymerization, the more elastic it is, but plasticizers must be added. However, if the degree of polymerization is 200, no plasticizer is needed.

(4) Polyisobutylene. Polyisobutylene is a representative substance of non-polar polymers. When used as a chewing gum base, its elasticity is utilized and it can be used as an auxiliary agent for vinyl acetate.

2. Other raw materials

(1) Sugar and other sugars. Sugar is also one of the important raw materials for chewing gum, and it is better to use fine powdered sugar with a mesh size of 250 or above. The same is true when using glucose or starch sugar. The smaller the particle size, the smoother the finished product.

(2) Spices. The quality of the flavor in chewing gum is also one of the most important factors in determining the value of the chewing gum product, and its usage is even greater than that in pastries. About 1% is used in making sheet chewing gum, while about 0.6-0.8% is used in making bubble gum.

In the past, oily fragrances were used to maintain affinity with the gum matrix. But this cannot adjust the flavor of the chewing gum. The purpose of flavoring chewing gum is to prolong its fragrance duration while also presenting its flavor. Therefore, powdered spices are often used together. Powdered spices are fast-acting. It has good dispersion in saliva, no local concentration changes, and good taste.

(3) Surfactants, antioxidants, artificial sweeteners, food coloring and wetting agents. The humectants are sorbitol and glycerin.