Chewing gum has been around since the late 1800s. The first flavor was called “Black Jack”. It has been continually been manufactured since 1948. The first chewing gum factory was opened in 1870. The biggest problem with the manufacture of chewing gum is the retention of flavor. Originally the chewing gum was being researched as a substitute for rubber.

Did You Know?

The average American chews 300 sticks of gum a year.

Chocolate-flavored chewing gum can’t be made. The cocoa butter in chocolate acts as an emulsifier on chewing gum base, making it extremely soft, negatively affecting the chewing quality of the product

2.0 Billion in retail sales in the U.S.

Fines can be incurred in access of $6,000 for possession and use of Chewing gum in Singapore

Since World War 1 American soldiers have been issued chewing gum, it is said to improve their concentration and stress levels.

“Gum Base” on the label is vinyl acetate; it is classified as a “potentially high hazard substance in Canada

If gum is chewed too often or too vigorously, it can cause a chronically painful jaw condition called temporomandibular joint disorder.

10 Uses For Chewing Gum

1. Crab Lure – attach a stick of moist flavored chewing gum to crab line and wait
2. Radiator Repair- a leaky hose can be temporally plugged with chewed gum
3. Fill Cracks- a cracked flowerpot can be fixed with well-chewed gum
4. Settle stomach- chewing gum stimulates saliva production, correcting the flow of digestive juices and neutralizes stomach acid. Spearmint oils in gum are best because it acts as a digestive aid and is an anti-flatulent.
5. Poor mans staple- placing a pinch of chewed gum between two papers, when left to harden will act as a staple
6. Art sculptures- after chewing gum for 2-3 hours it can be made to a consistence that is right for art sculpting
7. Memory improvement-people who chewed throughout tests of both long-term and short-term memory produced significantly better scores than people who did not
8. Weight Loss- Research shows that it can help you reduce your hunger and the number of calories you eat
9. Window putty- if you are out of caulk use chewed gum to seal the gap
10. Retrieval- apply chewed gum to stick , to be used as a pick up apparatus