Beemans gum facts for kids
Beemans gum is a type of chewing gum that was first created by an Ohio doctor named Edward E. Beeman in the late 1800s. It used to contain a special ingredient called pepsin, which people thought helped with digestion. However, the gum made today no longer has pepsin.
History of Beemans Gum
Beeman first claimed that his gum, which had pepsin powder, could help people digest their food better. In 1898, the gum became part of a company called the American Chicle Company. Later, in 1962, another company named Warner-Lambert bought American Chicle, and Beemans gum continued to be made.
However, in 1978, they stopped making Beemans gum because not many people were buying it. But then, in 1985, the gum was brought back! This was part of a "nostalgia" campaign, meaning it was sold again to remind people of old times. This time, it was just a regular chewing gum, without any special health claims. It was sold alongside other old-fashioned gums like Clove and Black Jack.
The first wrapper for Beemans gum had a picture of a pig. Later, this was changed to a design with Dr. Beeman's name and his picture. Today's wrapper is white and red with white and black letters.
Sometimes, Cadbury Adams (a big candy company) makes Beemans gum as a special "nostalgia" item, along with Clove and Black Jack. In 2015, the company said they would stop making these gums, but because so many people wanted them, all three brands were brought back again. In 2019, a company called Gerrit J. Verburg, which imports a lot of candy, bought the special rights to make Beemans gum. Now, the gum is made in Morocco, not the United States. The packaging and the recipe are very similar to the original gum.
Beemans in Movies
Beemans gum has even appeared in some famous movies! You can spot it in The Right Stuff, Hot Shots!, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. In the movie The Rocketeer, the gum is actually a very important part of the story! Most recently, it was seen on a workbench in Disney's Tomorrowland, where a young inventor was working on his jet-pack.
What About Medical Claims?
Pilots sometimes called Beemans their "lucky gum." This idea might have come from the original gum's claim that it could stop seasickness. People then thought it might help with airsickness during flights. Chewing any gum can help balance the pressure in your ears, which can be useful when flying.
The Beemans gum made today does not contain pepsin or chicle (a natural gum base). Instead, it's made with a modern recipe that uses a sweetened and flavored synthetic (man-made) gum base. The original claim that the gum could "cure indigestion and sea-sickness" was never proven. Today, strict rules about food and medicine, which started in the 1930s, would not allow such claims to be made without scientific proof.
Images for kids
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An advertisement for Beeman's Pepsin Gum from 1897.
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An old advertisement for Beeman's gum from the late 1800s.
