Gum Skye Chemistry 30

Gum We all have most likely chewed on a piece of gum before in our lives. Gum is a soft, candy like substance that is supposed to be chewed on and not swallowed.

What is gum made of? Up until WW11 gum was made of something called chicle which was mixed with different flavorings. Chicle is a latex sap and a form of rubber that comes from the sapodilla tree. After WW11 chemists learned how to make artificial gum bases. The gum bases are mixed with sugar and other flavorings. When you chew the gum the rubber releases these flavorings into you mouth. One company, Wrigley, uses ingredients such as gum base, sweeteners, softeners, bulking agents, flavorings, colorings, and preservations. On Wikipedia the ingredients used are gum base, sweeteners, glycerin, softener/plasticizer, flavors, colors, and polyol coating.

How is gum made? 1st Stage: Melting: 2nd Stage: Mixing: Wrigley gum is made in spotless, air conditioned rooms with raw ingredients that are approved for quality. 1st Stage: Melting: During this stage they melt and purify the gum base. 2nd Stage: Mixing: After the gum base has been melted they pour it into a mixer then sweeteners and flavors are added. 3rd Stage: Rolling: A large “loaf” of gum is sent through rollers to be formed into a thin wide ribbon, then a light coat of powered sugar or sugar substitute is added to keep the gum form sticking and to enhance the flavor.

How is gum made? Stage 4: Scoring: Stage 5: Conditioning: The ribbon of gum that has just been rolled is cut into patterns for sticks, long rolled strips, small rectangular pieces and other types of gum. Stage 5: Conditioning: The gum is moved to a temperature controlled room to ensure the right consistency and freshness. For Sticks: Stage 6: Wrapping: Operators then break sheets of sticks into sections, a machine wraps the sticks and sometimes the outer wrapper. For pellets: Stage 6: Breaking and Coating: The candy shell or coating around the soft centers of the pellets is applied. Stage 7: Packaging: The pellets of gum get packaged.

Comparison of brands Similarities: Differences: Wrigleys Trident Both trident and Wrigleys make pellets and sticks of gum. Both have multiple flavors. Differences: Wrigleys is a bigger brand with many different smaller brands and kinds. Trident gum is sweetened with Sorbitol, Mannitol, Aspartame, Sucralose and Acesulfame potassium. Wrigley gum is sweetened with Acesulfame K, Aspartame, Maltitol, Sucralose, Sorbitol, and Xylitol. Wrigleys makes many different kinds of gum such as: 5 Orbit Juicy Fruit Excel Extra Hubba Bubba Freedent Doublemint Trident

Wrigleys Wrigleys was founded by William Wrigley jr. in 1892 when they started manufacturing the gum. Wrigleys strive to reduce their environmental foot print and also reduce their costs. They want to reinvent their packaging to reduce the use of material like foil in wrappers. The amount of aluminum they use has been reduced by replacing it with a more sustainable alternative. Other then gum wrigleys also make starbursts, skittles, and many other candy's.

What are the chemical ingredients purpose? Aspartame is an artificial sweetener, and if you have gum that is sugar free it is most likely to contain aspartame. BHT is used as a preservative in gum. Calcium Casein Peptone is found most commonly in Trident gum, and thought to be a whitener. Titanium Dioxide is also used as a whitener. Natural Gum Aspartame Xanthan Gum Gum Arabic BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene) Calcium Casein Peptone Titanium Dioxide

Health effects & controversies When you chew gum excess air can be swallowed and it also signals your body that you are about to eat, enzymes and acids are activated and released except without any food. This all can cause abdominal pain, bloating, and a overproduction of stomach acid. Headaches can be linked to teens who chew gum daily, because of TMJ, which in one study after they quit the headaches stopped. Dental health can be affected when chewing gum because you are chewing sugar which can contribute to tooth decay. Gum contains a waxy substance, lanolin, derived from sheep wool to help it stay soft which is not good for your health. Stomach Problems Linked to headaches in teens Release Mercury from fillings Brain Function Dental Health Sheep By Products Conflict arises when people talk about gum as food but according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), chewing gum is considered a food. Rumors have been heard that gum, when swallowed, stays in your system for 7 years, which is not very truthful. Most of the time gum digests as fast as most other foods. Gum is also dangerous for young children as it can be easily swallowed and they could choke on it. As students know that gum in schools in commonly left under desks, chairs, etc. lots of schools have bans on it. Once gum that is walked in and such it is hard to remove and it is not water soluble, it can bond strongly to asphalt and rubber because they are made of polymeric hydrocarbons. controversies Classification of Food Choking and Excretion Bans Effects on the Environment

How does gum impact my life? Gum is something that you don’t often think of as having a impact of your life but it can help out many people. For me gum can help me concentrate on things such as school work. I also believe that gum can help release stress and calm a person down. A great thing that I love about gum is that it freshens your breath and has a great taste. A downside to gum is that it gets left in places like on the ground for you to step on and under desks as many students know from accidently grabbing under your desk and feeling a sticky or old piece of gum. Overall I'm happy gum was invented because I use it in my everyday life.

Interesting facts Ancient Civilization Chewing Gum Precursor Greece Mastic Tree Bark Mayans Chicle Eskimos Blubber South Americans Cocoa Leaves Chinese Ginseng Plant Roots South Asia (India) Betel Nuts USA Tobacco Leaves Native Americans Sugar Pine & Spruce Sap Singapore has tried to forbid gum with fines up to $6000. The largest bubble blown measured 23 inches in diameter. Cinnamon, spearmint, and peppermint are the most popular flavors. Chewing gum burns around 11 cals/hr. Chewing gum can stop tears when cutting a onion.

"Fun Facts. " Glee Gum. N. p. , n. d. Web. 29 May 2017. <http://www "Fun Facts." Glee Gum. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2017. <http://www.gleegum.com/learn-more/fun-facts/>. "Food | HowStuffWorks." N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2017. <http://www.bing.com/cr?IG=0B51064FAC67400EB6952B85E6B80194&CID=3D0C1A3C2535631E3A8710AD243362B1&rd=1&h=gkqfqWo7Mf4rBdW-H4tSCucaAFp-a1zWZ4_f_jw_0zI&v=1&r=http%3a%2f%2frecipes.howstuffworks.com%2f&p=DevEx,5062.1>. Wrigleys.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2017. <http://www.wrigleys.com/>. "6 Disturbing Side Effects of Chewing Gum - Mercola.com." N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2017. "Main Page." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 27 May 2017. Web. 29 May 2017. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page>. WWW.Tridentgum.com Sources