Most chewing gums, instead of the protection of teeth and gums promised by numerous commercials, have a negative effect on the oral cavity, causing tooth decay and other diseases. This is due to the content of harmful components in them. However, it is also true that chewing gum can help you get rid of bad odor, cleanse your mouth, and help you stay focused.
From the history of chewing gum
The prototype of today's chewing gum existed already in the Stone Age, then people mixed the bark of trees with resin and chewed the resulting mixture. To prevent the gum from being too bitter, honey was sometimes added to it. So they cleansed and strengthened their teeth. The Greeks used the bark of the mastic tree or beeswax for these purposes. The Maya tribes chewed rubber, and the inhabitants of Siberia chewed larch.
Despite the abundant evidence of ancient forms of chewing gum, it is believed that the first American William Finley Semple invented and created it. It happened on December 28, 1869. The patent was issued for an invented combination of rubber with chalk, charcoal, and a number of flavors. Semple believed that his chewing gum could be used for a long time, at least a month. The discoverer has never been engaged in the production of gum in industrial volumes.
The first apparatus for the production of chewing gum was created in 1871 by the American Thomas Adams. He opened his own business and developed it successfully. In the USSR, chewing gum began to be produced in the 1970s.
Chewing gum production
Most chewing gum contains the following ingredients:
- latex - the main part of the gum;
- flavors, natural and identical to them;
- dyes;
- sweeteners: sugar, acesulfame-K, aspartame, sorbitol or silitol.
Chewing gum is made using an industrial mixer. A foundation is laid in it, in the composition of which at least 80% of rubber. During the kneading process, certain sweeteners are added to the mass (sorbitol is the most popular sweetener in the production of chewing gum today). Sometimes manufacturers add substances such as calcium, vitamin C, carbomite (a product that strengthens teeth) and all kinds of flavorings to the product.
The next stage is rolling. A kind of dough in a thick layer falls under the extruder (equipment is similar in appearance and purpose to a rolling pin), and it comes out thin and with marked boundaries of future pads. Then, within 2 days, the dough is allowed to settle, harden. After that, a special apparatus cuts it into separate parts.
In the case of glazed chewing gums, the next step is to glaze the already separated pads. The glazing process is quite long - it takes at least 8 hours. Then the product is dried in special chambers. Then all that remains is to sort and pack the received products into packs. Manufacturers who value their reputation are very responsible for the last stages, because only high-quality chewing gums should get on store shelves.
