Simply Gum
The first completely natural chewing gum, avoiding the 80 synthetic ingredients found in most others
Conceived by a team of entrepreneurs including Caron Proschan (a natural product devotee) Simply Gum was created after the founders discovered that regular chewing gum contained up to 80 hidden chemicals. These chemicals include some of the same components used to manufacture rubber tires, plastic bottles and glue. In fact, it appears that consumers are often kept in dark about what they chew because the gum companies are not required to list each and every ingredient on their labels. In the US, the FDA allows up to 80 synthetic ingredients to be included in gum.
Breaking with these manufactured recipes, Simply Gum is made (in New York) from just six ingredients—all of which are listed on the package. Neither artificial flavoring, preservatives, aspartame nor other synthetics are added, and this 100% natural gum is made of chicle (which is an ingredient obtained from the sap of the tropical sapodilla fruit tree), organic dried cane juice, organic vegetable glycerin, organic rice flour, organic sunflower lecithin and all-natural cinnamon flavor. For now, cinnamon is the only available flavor, but there are plans to introduce mint in the near future.
The gum is soft and pleasant to chew, and the most striking difference is the flavor—it’s significantly different from the gums we are accustomed to. It’s less saccharine and overall more subtle, though the flavor still lasts. After a long session, the texture turns slightly sticky, usually a sign one has chewed long enough. Once you’re done, each individual piece’s wrapping is designed to receive the gum again—the gum and the paper being biodegradable.
Simply Gum is available online as well as at Whole Foods stores across NYC, for approximately $3 per pack.
Images courtesy of Simply Gum
