How is chewing gum produced?

Chewing gum is a soft and sticky item that can be chewed; it's been popular among children and adults.

We see a wide variety of chewing gum in the market, sugar and sugar-free with various flavors, which makes many people wonder how chewing gum is produced. This article will lift the veil on the production of chewing gum, and this blog will be suitable for individuals interested in learning about chewing gum production and business people who want to start their own chewing gum factory. After reading this blog, you will have a certain understanding of the production process of chewing gum. Of course, we're mainly talking about how chewing gum is made in an industry or factory, not by hand or at home.

First of all, let's understand the basic ingredients of chewing gum. The main raw materials of chewing gum include gum base, sweetener, thickener, lubricant, color, and flavor. The gum base is one of the main components of chewing gum and gives it its chewiness. The gum base is made of natural plant resin or synthetic rubber, among which the commonly used resins are natural gum, latex, saponin gum, etc. Sweeteners are used to flavor chewing gum; common sweeteners are sucrose, glucose, fructose, etc. Thickeners are mainly used to increase the stickiness of chewing gum and make it easier to chew. Commonly used thickening agents are maltodextrin, cellulose, and so on. Lubricants increase the smoothness of the gum; commonly used lubricants are wax, grease, and so on. Colors and flavors are used to provide color and flavor. 

Then, let's see the industrial production process of chewing gum. There are preparing raw materials, mixing, forming and cutting, and packaging.

The first step is preparing raw materials; as we mentioned above, we should prepare all the materials in advance; the raw materials are gum base, sweeteners like sugar, liquid glucose or sugar-free sweeteners, flavoring, colors, softening materials like glycerin and lecithin. There are other raw materials that different chewing gum manufacturers choose. 

After preparing all the necessary raw materials, all the raw materials are mixed in a special industrial gum base mixer according to a fixed ratio, which is the formula, in order. This mixer has a heating function, and it is fully mixed during the heating process to achieve a uniform state of mixing raw materials.
The mixed ingredients are then transferred to an extruding machine. In the extruder, the already mixed raw material is squeezed into a long strip called candy rope, and the previous candy dough is transformed into a long candy rope in preparation for the forming.

The conveyor belt will convey the candy rope extruded from an extruder to the roller-forming machine. The function of the roller-forming machine is to press and form the extruded candy rope into the thickness, size, and shape the gum manufacturer wants. There is little difference between the stick chewing gum and xylitol chewing gum in this stage as their shapes differ. 

After roller and forming, the chewing gum's shape and size are formed, and then it is cooled and aged before it comes to the packaging process. There are a variety of packaging forms; you usually see different packaging types in the market. There are canned carton packaging, five pieces, and other packaging types. The variety and fun of packaging are also important reasons why chewing gum is so popular; no matter what kind of packaging, it must ensure its hygiene and safety. 

Whether you are simply interested in gum production or want to invest in your own gum factory, do you already have a rough understanding of the gum production process? Of course, the production process will be somewhat different because of the difference between chewing gum and bubble gum and the difference between stick chewing gum and xylitol chewing gum; in short, prepare the raw materials first and then put the raw materials into the gum mixer which is especially for mixing gum base and other ingredients according to the order and proportion of your formula. After that, we need a gum extruder to help extrude the dough to be candy rope and preliminary molding and forming. Then, the candy rope enters the roller-forming machine for further molding and shaping. After molding, it needs aging and cooling; the last step is packaging. Prepare the raw materials for the packaging and machine according to the packaging type, which will get the chewing gum you want. The same applies to the basic steps of gum production on the market.  

If you are interested in setting up your oum factory or want a high-quality gum base for your gum production, please get in touch with us to discuss gum machinery or gum base.




Author: Wuxi Gum Base
Publication Date: 2/1/2024