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Chewing Gum — Freshly Packaged

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Chewing Gum — Freshly Packaged

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People chew everywhere — on every continent and in every culture. Chewing gum is part of humanity's everyday routine. The packaging of the prepared portions of chewing gum is every bit as important as the manufacturing process itself. The packaging determines the freshness and with that the quality of the chewing gum.

Approximately 575,000 tons of chewing gum are consumed per year worldwide. Since the year dot, chewing gum has enjoyed a certain status in the societies of all continents, cultures and eras. The hitherto oldest chewing gum in the world was found by archaeologists while excavating in a 9,000-year old habitation in South Sweden. The Greeks also knew a type of chewing gum — 2,000 years ago, they chewed the resin from the mastic tree to clean their teeth and freshen their breath. Today it's hard to imagine life without chewing gum. 14 to 19-year olds are the most avid chewers. And at 175 packages per capita per year, the Americans remain the world's leading chewing gum consumers.

Wrigley's is probably the world's best-known and largest manufacturer of chewing gum. William Wrigley Sr. was a soap producer in Philadelphia. His son joined the company in 1890 and founded his own chewing gum factory. He was already manufacturing "Wrigley's Spearmint" in 1892 and "Juicy Fruit" one year later. The latter quickly became America's favourite brand of chewing gum. Bubble Gum was not invented until 1928 when Walter E. Diemer discovered that adding certain colours increased the elasticity of chewing gum to the extent that one could blow huge bubbles with it.

As World War II came to a close, chewing gum also conquered Europe. The first sugar-free chewing gum was introduced in 1950, and today chewing gum is available in every imaginable variation: dental-care chewing gum, pharmaceutical chewing gum, lifestyle, wellness and energy chewing gum…the list goes on. Chewing gum manufacturing is an industry with sales in the billions.

What's Inside?

Chewing gum manufacturing is a complex process. The quality and flavour of chewing gum depends on the quality of the ingredients as well as the strict adherence to an unvarying manufacturing process. The production begins with the chopping and grinding of the respective base material, which can consist of various types of gum. The base is melted and prepared for further processing. Subsequently the sugar or sugar substitute, glucose syrup, flavouring and/or fruit and plant extracts are added to the base at the correct time according to the particular recipe. At this point the base resembles bread dough. It is then rolled into a thin, even chewing gum ribbon by large roller pairs. Simultaneously it is dusted with powdered sugar or a sugar substitute to prevent it from sticking together during cutting and packaging. It is then placed in a climate-controlled room, where it is hardened at a carefully controlled temperature and humidity.

Fresh Thanks to Proper Packaging

The subsequent made-to-measure packaging of the finished chewing gum is just as important as the manufacturing process itself. The packaging determines freshness and quality, and ensures that the chewing gum remains soft and aromatic.

For many, many years chewing gum has been offered in classic shapes such as rectangular pillows and sticks. Meanwhile dragées have also established themselves, often packaged in blister packs and sealed in aluminium foil. Now it seems that a continuous flood of new types of chewing gum, increasingly innovative packaging variations, constantly modernised designs and new functionalities appear on the market. One example is 5 GUM, introduced by Wrigley in June of this year, which aims to stir up the traditional standards in the chewing gum sector: Two new products in stick form combine refreshing or fruity flavours with new sensory characteristics, in an attention-getting black package with a minimalist design featuring futuristic graphic elements and embossing. The "Electro" variety tastes like spearmint and prickles the tongue, while "Pulse" tastes like tropical fruit and crackles when chewed.

Nonetheless, the classic sticks of chewing gum are on the shelf right next to 5 GUM, and show no signs of being replaced. After all, it still sells more than any other type of chewing gum worldwide.