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Chewing gum is a type of confectionery (candy) , traditionally made of chicle, a natural latex product, although for reasons of economy and quality many modern chewing gums use rubber instead of chicle. Chicle is nonetheless still the base of choice for some regional markets, such as in Japan.

Contents 1 Types 2 Composition and manufacture 3 Gum and society 4 Gum and the military 5 See also 6 References

Chewing gums come in a variety of flavors, depending on location, and is most often chewed for the flavor. There is no standard type of gum, since it can be formed in many different shapes and sizes. Some examples include:

• Ball gum - shaped like a ball and coated, and is often found in vending machines. In the United Kingdom, these are often referred to as 'Screwballs' due to being found at the bottom of a 'Screwball' ice-cream. Commonly referred to in the US as "gum balls".
• Bubble gum - formulated with film-forming characteristics for blowing bubbles.
• Sugarfree gum
• Candy & Gum combinations - predominantly bubble gum found in the center of some types of lollipop, such as Charms Blow Pops.
• Center-filled gum - contains a softer center.
• Chiclet gum - is a colloquialism for candy coated chewing gum.
• Cut & Wrap gum - refers to the name of the machine that wraps this type of gum, usually in the form of a chunk, cube or cylindrical shape.
• Dragée gum - a pillow-shaped coated pellet, often packed in blister packs.
• Functional gum - chewing gum with a practical function, such as Zoft Gum (specializes in the development and production of herbal chewing gum products using gum as the delivery system).
• Medicated gum - makes use of a chewing gum as a 'delivery system' to introduce medicated substances into the saliva and thus into the blood stream faster than pills.
• Powdered gum - free flowing powder form or powders compressed into unique shapes.
• Ribbon gum - very similar to stick gum in shape, but much longer, coiled up in a cylindrical container often shaped like a hockey puck and the consumer is expected to tear off a piece of the desired size. (See Bubble Tape)
• Stick gum - a thin, flat slab of gum.
• Tube gum or spaghetti gum - very soft bubble gum which can be squeezed from a tube.

Chewing gum is a combination of a water-insoluble phase, known as gum base, and a water-soluble phase of sweeteners, flavoring and sometimes food coloring.^{[citation needed]}

The approximate manufacturing methods are fairly constant between brands. The gum base is melted at a temperature of about 115 °C (240 °F), until it has the viscosity of thick maple syrup, and filtered through a fine mesh screen. Then it is further refined by separating dissolved particles in a centrifuge, and further filtered. Clear base, still hot and melted, is then put into mixing vats. Other ingredients that may be added include: powdered sugar, whose amount and grain size determines the brittleness of the result, corn syrup and/or glucose which serve as humectants, coat the sugar particles and stabilize their suspension, and keep the gum flexible, various softeners, food colorings, flavorings, preservatives and other additives.

The homogenized mixture is then poured onto cooling belts, and cooled with cold air. Extrusion, optionally rolling and cutting, and other mechanical shaping operations follow. The chunks of gum are then put aside to set for 24 to 48 hours.

Coated chewing gums then undergo other operations. The chunks are wrapped with optional undercoating for better binding with outer layers then immersed into liquid sugar. The pellets are then colored and coated with a suitable glazing agent, usually a wax. The coating/glazing/colors on gum is most often derived from animal based sources such as resinous glaze that is derived from an insect or beeswax. Vegans, vegetarians, and those who do not wish to consume animal based products or have allergies should be aware of the limited variety of non-animal derived gums available. Always contact the manufacturer of the gum to clarify the ingredients including the coating/glazing/color sources.

While gum was historically sweetened with cane sugar, xylitol, corn syrup, or other natural sweetners, a large number of brands now use mostly or only artificial sweetners such as aspartame, sucralose, or Acesulfame potassium. It is currently rather difficult to find a mint-type (breath freshening) gum which does not contain aspartame for those who choose to avoid it.

Non-coated varieties of gum are often covered in sweetened marble dust to prevent the wrapper from sticking to the product.

Chewing gum adheres firmly to concrete and other hard surfaces, and requires great effort to remove -- power washing is often required. The adhesive effect can be so strong that it removes food particles attached to the teeth, or even removes a filling from a tooth. It is not uncommon to see urban sidewalks and train platforms speckled with thousands of patches of dried, discarded gum. For this reason, the sale of chewing gum has been prohibited in Singapore since 1992. ^[1] Recently, however, some types of chewing gum (e.g., nicotine replacement gums) have been allowed under strictly monitored distribution. (See Chewing gum ban in Singapore)

An old wives' tale states that chewing gum, if swallowed, may take up to seven years to become fully digested, and that swallowing gum could also result in the substance becoming lodged in the esophagus. Chewing gum does resist complete digestion by the body; it is generally expelled like other foods in 95% of individuals, though relatively unchanged. ^[2] One urban legend states that some individuals who have been known to swallow chewing-gum regularly and who are predisposed can aid the growth of bezoars within their stomachs or intestines^{[citation needed]}.

In many American, British, Canadian, and Australian schools, chewing gum is prohibited and being caught using it may lead to disciplinary action. It is discouraged because many students do not throw the used gum away but stick it underneath their desks which results in time and resources being spent on cleaning up the used gum.

The U.S. Armed Forces have regularly supplied soldiers with chewing gum since World War I because it helped both to improve the soldiers' concentration and to relieve stress. Recent studies show chewing gum can also improve one's mood. As of 2005, the US military is sponsoring development of a chewing gum formulation with an antibacterial agent, which should be able to replace conventional oral hygiene methods in the battlefield. ^[3]

Recently the U.S. Armed Forces have been providing soldiers with caffeineated gum to keep soldiers alert for extended periods of time without experiencing fatigue or drowsiness. Each stick of gum has approximately 100 mg of caffeine in it, which is about the same amount as in an average cup of coffee. ^[4]

Gum is included in Canadian Forces Individual Meal Packs as an aid to oral hygiene.^{[citation needed]}

"Recaldent" chewing gum was introduced into New Zealand Defence Force ration packs May 2007 by New Zealand Defence Dental Services to aid oral health care for service personnel in the field. Research has shown that "Recaldent" gum aids remineralization of early tooth decay.^{[citation needed]}

• Bubble gum
• Functional gum
• Gum base
• Gum industry
• List of chewing gum brands
• Artificial sweeteners