Chewing Gum Consultant

Professional Chewing gum industry meeting point

Fleer – Spain 04/04/2024

Filed under: New product — Joan Mestres @ 10:17 AM
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I already talked about this company (founded Spanish but now under the American Tootsie Roll) in this blog.

What I find interesting is the broad range of products that they cover:

  • Chewing gum dragees under the brand CLIX. 12 flavours. Presented in individual flow packs and also in zipbags with 30 pieces each
  • Chewing gum sticks: 4 flavours, also under the brand CLIX
  • Functional chewing gum, CLIX PRO with vitamins and ginseng
  • Bubble gum chunks (cut&wrap) under the brand DUBBLE BUBBLE, one of the historical brands in the chewing gum industry. There is one side brand which is sugrafree, quite unusual for a bubble gum for children. Another line extension offers the pieces in the shape of a bear and still another is a tongue painter.
  • Bubble gum balls and melons

So this covers different formats, flavours and target markets.

They also launched a line of Cotton candy (“FLUFFY STUFF”), which is not gum but this could be a new development for the future, although the production of cotton candy gum is a real challenge!

www.fleer.es

 

Per Os Biosciences – USA 26/03/2024

Filed under: General,New product,Production & Machinery,Research — Joan Mestres @ 6:56 PM
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By large, most of the chewing gum produced in the world uses a “wet” formulation and the process involves an extrusion. However, there are alternatives to this and today I’d like to talk about a company in the US that excels in the tabletted gum process. PerOs Biosciences produces functional gum using a patented process which differs from other tabletting processes. For example, it does not require a double layer and besides, they claim that the percentage of active ingredient can be larger versus other similar processes. This tabletting involves compressing the gum powder in a tablet press. It is a “dry” formulation, as the ingredients are all (or a huge majority) in powder form. This is specially interesting when the active that has to be added is sensitive to temperature. The whole process is carried out at room temperature (or at least there is no significant heating as in the extrusion), so very convenient when the active can be damaged by heat.

The company has some success cases, collaborations and studies with different entities. Maybe an interesting one is the one related to an anti-viral chewing gum ( so, it might prevent Covid19) carried out together with the University of Pennsylvania.

As not many companies in the world are proficient in tabletting chewing gum, this is one that has to be considered, for sure.

 

BARKLEYS GUM – TUTTLE & CO 04/03/2024

Filed under: Market & Fairs,New product — Joan Mestres @ 6:29 PM
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As usual each ISM is a source of interesting products and a learning experience. This time I picked up the product from Barkleys, which is marketed highlighting its intensity. This feature and the unique packaging are the differential elements of this brand. It comes in tins, which is not a usual packaging for gum. The reason is that the origin of the company (Tuttle & Co) and still today the main product are the mints, which are presented, of course, in metal tins. That’s also the reason for the claim of “intense gum”, which is perfectly aligned with the mints (sugar, sugarfee and chocolate filled). The gum is a line extension and presents 3 different flavours: Peppermint, Spearmint and Cinnamon. The tins contain 30g (ca.22 pieces) of dragée gum, which is much more than a standard blister pack.

I leave you here the websites, so you can see these products

https://barkleysgum.com/#

https://www.tuttleandcompany.com/

 

SWEET VICTORY – Israel 25/05/2023

Filed under: New product — Joan Mestres @ 2:23 PM
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Today, quite an interesting claim for a chewing gum. Different that the ones we can usually find in our industry (more related to energy, concentration, …). The israeli company Sweet Victory launched a gum which claim to fight sugar craving. It contains an active ingredient from the plant “Gymnema Sylvestre”. This ingredient (molecule similar to glucose) blocks the sugar receptors in our tongue. This means that we cannot taste the sugar while the effect lasts (they claim 2 hours).

The claim and the mechanism is interesting. I cannot say by myself if this works, as I have not tasted the product.

It comes in different packaging (blister, platic bottle and flow pack) and flavours.

You can find much more information in their website www.sweetvictory-gum.com and also in this article from FoodNavigator Europe.

 

FLEER – Spain . Gum for E-Gamers. CLIX PRO 24/05/2023

Filed under: New product — Joan Mestres @ 12:34 PM
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Today another novelty seen in ISM. A gum specially designed and directed to E-gamers. This is a growing segment of the market and the company Fleer has identified it as such, and presents their CLIX Pro, containing different Vitamins and also Green Tea and Ginseng.

CLIX is their well-established brand for their chewing gum, after many years, so they use the same umbrella to launch this very special product. It comes in blister with 10 pieces of coated gum www.clixpro.es

 

MULTITRANCE – Netherlands. CBD Chewing gum 23/05/2023

Filed under: New product — Joan Mestres @ 12:11 PM
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The use of Cannabis, Hemp, CBD in food is a hot topic. I must admit that I get confused when I try to understand the different legislations, which change continuously in each EU country, UK, Australia, Canada, Latin America or each one of the States in the US. I think I will leave that to the experts and I will keep posting here (as I have been doing so far) the products that I find containing this controversial ingredient/s.

In this case from the Netherlands, where the company Multitrance offers a broad range of products, like the one in the photo below, that is presented in blister and contains 12 gum pieces with 17mg CBD in each. Interesting green spots on the coating of each piece, which makes it more appealing. You can find much more in their website www.multitrance.com

Not only they offer different items such as chocolate, gummies, candies, beer, muffins, etc. but also plenty of accessories.

 

Confiteca – Ecuador 22/05/2023

Filed under: Market & Fairs,New product — Joan Mestres @ 11:39 AM
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Not everything is functional gum! Although I like a lot the novelties is this segment, I also like to see new launches in the field of more traditional gum. There are not many, I must say, so when I find one it is very good news.

In this case the Ecuadorian company Confiteca presented in ISM an extra sour gum. The format is what is more interesting: A 20cm-long cylinder filled with liquid (in some cases) or powder (in another version). Each bar, or cylinder comes in a flowpack. The product has a soft nice chew and, of course, an extra sour taste. Named “Super Hiper Ácido” comes in different flavours (watermelon, maracuya, strawberry…)

 

CHIC-KLES – Spain GUM&GO 19/05/2023

Filed under: Market & Fairs,New product — Joan Mestres @ 11:32 AM
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The company Chic-kles has been busy recently. They exhibited in ISM and also in Vitafoods launching their new functional gums under the brand “Gum&Go”. This is a well-differentiated product from their standard range and , of course, is a complete range of functional gums covering different claims:

  • Easy calm: With Melatonin, L-Tryptophan and Lemon Balm Extract
  • B12+ Iron boost. With both ingredients plus vitamin C
  • Shape care: With Probiotic BPL1 and Zinc
  • Energy shot: With Caffeine, Vitamin B5, Ginseng and Guarana
  • Vitamin shield: With B6, B2 and C
  • Strong teeth: With Xylitol, fluoride, Calcium and Vitamin D

They are presented as coated pillows, packed in blisters, with 10 gum pieces each.

For mor information; [email protected]

 

AFPI – Australia 28/02/2022

Filed under: Market & Fairs,New product — Joan Mestres @ 10:55 AM
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It is not usual to find chewing gums coming from Australia, but this one is even more unusual: Gum using mastic as gum base. This would go together with the current trend for natural gum bases (several posts earlier in this website) but unlike the natural gum base from chicle /sapodilla tree from Mexico, this product uses the resin from “Pistacia Genus”, a type of mastic gum.

Mastic gum is common in the Middle East, with examples in Turkey and Lebanon but this product made in Australia by Australian Food and Pharmaceutical Industries (AFPI) is different. It comes in flip top boxes and a range of flavours (original mastic, mint, cinnamon) and also a “Zero” version formulated only with mastic gum + beeswax and mint oil. Note that no sweetener is used. This gives a very special taste and texture to the product. There is even a version with probiotics (Organic Kombucha culture)!

All of them are labelled as “organic”.

Thank you to Dr Sharifi for his explanations and time during Gulfood/Dubai.

I invite you to visit their website at www.foodpharmaindu.com

 

Happygum – Austria 24/02/2022

Filed under: Market & Fairs,New product — Joan Mestres @ 4:50 PM
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Let me introduce the finalist to the “most innovative health, wellness and plant based product” during the recent Gulfood exhibition that took place in Dubai. I thank Dr Farkas for his time to explain the features of the product, which is in fact quite unique. Its benefits go around Lavender oil, but it is completed with vitamin B3, B5, B7 and Zinc. It claims to contribute “to functioning of mind, psyche and energy metabolism”.

It comes in blister pack with 10 pieces in each sleeve.

Interesting product from an Austrian company (quite unique as well in the chewing gum industry) although produced outside the country. See their website www.happygum.info