Gum base facts for kids

Gum base is the special stuff that makes chewing gum chewy! It's the part you don't eat or digest, and it holds all the yummy flavors and sweeteners in your gum. Think of it as the foundation that gives gum its texture and allows you to chew it.

What exactly is in gum base is often a secret recipe, like a chef's special sauce! But governments, like the FDA in the US, have rules about what ingredients can be used. These ingredients fall into different groups:

• Synthetic (man-made) materials: These are like the main building blocks, often made from things like plastic or wax. They give the gum its stretchy, bouncy feel and help hold everything together. Most modern gum bases use these man-made ingredients.
• Softeners: These materials help mix all the different parts of the gum base together smoothly. They are often made from tree resins.
• Resins: This is a specific type of material that can be found naturally or made artificially. It helps give the gum its strength.
• Preservatives: These ingredients, like BHT, help keep the gum fresh and stop it from going bad. They work by protecting the gum from tiny particles that can spoil food.
• Natural materials: These include things like chicle, which was traditionally used for gum, and natural waxes like beeswax. While these were popular long ago, most gum today uses man-made ingredients instead.

Gum base is a bit different for bubble gum compared to regular chewing gum. Bubble gum needs to be extra stretchy to blow big bubbles, so its gum base has more of the "bouncy" ingredients. Also, if gum is made for upset stomachs (like antacid gum), it might use calcium carbonate as a filler. But if the gum is sour, it uses talc instead, because sour ingredients can react with calcium carbonate and make gas!

Bubble gum usually has about 15–20% gum base. Regular chewing gum has a bit more, around 20–25%. Sugar-free gum often has the most gum base, about 25–30%.

Scientists are always looking for new ways to make gum. Researchers are even studying if gum base could be made from zein, a protein found in corn, which would be biodegradable (meaning it can break down naturally).

Big chewing gum companies usually make their own gum base. Smaller companies often buy their gum base from other suppliers.

What's Inside Gum Base?

The ingredients in gum base can also be grouped by what they do for the gum:

• Elastomers: These are the ingredients that give gum its stretchiness and bounce. They can be natural materials like chicle (from trees) or man-made rubbers.
• Resins: These give the gum its strength and help it stick together. They are often made from tree resins or other similar materials.
• Waxes: These make the gum softer. Common waxes used are paraffin wax or microcrystalline wax.
• Fats: These also help make the gum softer and smoother. They often come from hydrogenated vegetable oils.
• Emulsifiers: These ingredients help mix water and other parts of the gum base together. Lecithin is a common emulsifier.
• Fillers: These add texture to the gum. Common fillers are calcium carbonate or talc.
• Antioxidants: These protect the gum from going bad and help it last longer. BHT is a common antioxidant used in gum.

Long ago, gum bases were made from natural stretchy materials like chicle or natural waxes like beeswax. But today, most gum uses man-made rubbers because they are more consistent and easier to produce.