Introduction:
We feel refreshed and energetic when we eat chocolates, candies, or any other mouth fresheners. The same is with chewing gum. We all must have tasted the juicy flavors of chewing gum and enjoyed it till the flavor goes away leaving behind the sticky substance. Do you know how the flavors and the colors are added to make it enjoyable? In this article, we are going to explore the facts about the origin and production of chewing gums.
The emergence of chewing gum:
It is an organic substance that is made up of gum base, sweeteners, and softeners. The colors and flavors are added to it to make it utilized. The emergence of chewing gum is said to be in ancient times, a period around the Neolithic age. The research says that an early man had invented the sticky product like chewing gums. It was made up of the gum and bark obtained from the trees. In ancient time, chicle gum tree, resins of mastic tree were used as a gummy substance. Birchbark tar was a substance that was used as an antiseptic to maintain oral health. The modern man has also developed the same product with more advanced innovations. The first flavored chewing gum was produced in 1860, by a pharmacist named John Colgan. It was developed with further innovations over a period.
The Structure and formation:
The upper layer of chewing gum is a hard coating of a substance called a polyol. The polymers and plasticizers present in chewing gum make it sticky and elastic. The crucial substance in chewing gum is a kind of polymer that is organic in nature. It is calledย Polyisobutylene. Isobutene is polymerized and colorless, gummy solids are produced out of it. Resin, wax, and elastomer are the three important substances used to prepare gum base. Resin gives the quality of chewing. Wax softens the gum and elastomers like Polyisobutylene give flexibility. The structure of gum is more like the molecules of plastic and rubber. Bulk Polyol sweeteners are used to add sweetness to many products, intensive sweeteners are added to stretch the sweetness effects. Sugar, dextrose, glucose, corn syrup, erythritol, isomalt, xylitol, etc are the bulk polyol sweeteners. Intensive sweeteners are aspartame, acesulfame-K, saccharine, neohesperidine, etc. Glycerine is added to give moistness to a gum.
Production Pattern:
The gum base is prepared by melting and straining or filtering process. Once the mixture becomes thick and takes a texture like dough, nutritive and non-nutritive elements are added with flavors and colors. When the mixture gets heated up, it increases the entropy of the polymers, so that, the ingredients mixed in it can be dispersed with uniformity. Once the mixture is ready, with the help of extrusion technology, it is made smooth and given the shape.
Once the gum base is ready with flavor and color, it is given the shape according to the requirements. The chewing gums are available in different forms like chunks, cubes, sticks, sheets, and many more. The coating of the polyol is done under controlled temperature and then it is ready to send for the next process. That is the packaging. The average weight of packing chewing gums ranges between 1.4 grams to 6.9 grams.
Use of Polyisobutylene in bubble gums:
Bubble gums are the most enjoyable edible product. After chewing gum, one can create a bubble out of a chewy substance. How does it happen? What kind of element is used in the gum? The answer is Polyisobutylene. It is a kind of synthetic rubber that performs the task as an elastomer. Every rubber does not possess the quality ofย Polyisobutylene. It is having the characteristic of holding air. It is a kind of rubber that is gas impermeable. The use of Polyisobutylene plays a very crucial role in the production of chewing gum.
Effects on health:
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The research says that chewing gums give good results. It improves the working memory and speed of perception. It can be useful till it is taken as a mild exercise but up to a certain level. Chewing continuously can affect the body adversely. It also helps to eradicate halitosis which is generally considered as bad breath. It is healthy for teeth and removes bacteria present in the food particles which are stuck in the teeth. It prevents tooth decay. Medical science says that chewing gum after a colon surgery helps the patient recover sooner.
This is how chewing gums are produced, packed, and made an interesting edible product to chew. The usage of chewing gum has been in practice since ancient times. It has been evolved with developing civilization.
The advancement added innovations to it and it took a commercial shape in the global market. It is organic in nature, and it can have positive effects if it is used in an appropriate way. We learned about the formation and structure of the gum. We also gained knowledge about the usage of Polyisobutylene. We would be glad to have feedback from our readers. It helps us to give better output every time when we get connected to our viewers. Keep viewing and stay connected with us.