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Why Things Stick Making The Gum
Why Things Stick Rug Testing
Shoe Testing Analytical Capability
Coatings

Removable Gum

  • 200+ formulations have been prepared to identify a chewing gum which is removable.
  • 1000+ pieces of chewing gum have been made in a food science laboratory and expert blind tests of our product versus commercial chewing gums showed our product to be at least as good a chew in terms of mouth feel and texture as the leading brands.
  • The prototype product chews for hours while keeping its pleasant soft chew.
  • Preliminary studies show the product can disintegrate by itself in a few months in rain water.
  • With the help of local councils, street trials were conducted in towns in the UK to prove that our product is removed naturally compared to commercial gum, which remain stuck to the pavement.
  • Adhesion trials on clothes, carpets and shoes to find the best overall product.
  • Working together with food safety experts, the safety of our product is ensured a dossier has been submitted to European and American Food Safety Authorities.

The issue everywhere that Revolymer® has the solution for:



Removable Gum Image Removable Gum Image

In UK Government studies, chewing gum pollution is considered one of the key issues facing local authorities and a chewing gum tax is being considered in the UK, Ireland and other EU countries. As an example of the problem, Westminster City Council spends some £95,000 per year removing gum from pavements.

The problem of chewing gum contamination can not be understated and the industry has worked for 25 years trying to solve it. The importance of the issue was demonstrated by an announcement in July 2007 by the Irish Ministry of the Environment which offered £1 million, through an open competition, to any Irish University or College to develop a non-stick chewing gum. Further, the Minister announced a £2 million "Gum Litter" pilot project funded by, and in collaboration with, the private sector. This project seeks to educate gum users in the disposal of the waste product.

Historically, chewing gum was made from chicle which is a polyterpene and is made up of 15% rubber and 38% resin. Modern gums are made from synthetic latex to which softeners, sweeteners and flavourings are added. Synthetic rubbers are stretchy, retain their properties indefinitely under all weather conditions, are resistant to aggressive chemicals and have strong adhesive properties.

A change in the stickiness or the degradability of chewing gum would require a change in the chemical structure of the rubber gum base. However, the gum base also determines commercially important features of chewing gum such as flavour retention, "chewiness" and shelf life. The challenge is to develop a removable or degradable gum base that does not compromise commercially critical requirements i.e. a ‘clean gum’.

Revolymer® has made a significant breakthrough in the physical properties of the gum base. Initial results on adhesion to glass showed a major reduction in adhesion compared to unmodified products. Recent developments within the laboratory indicate that Revolymer® can now almost "dial in" the stickiness required from high to very low contact adhesion.

With a prototype gum base in hand, Revolymer® then focused on formulating the gum to make a confectionary chewing gum prototype. The new ‘clean gum’ has excellent flavour retention and chewing characteristics, and in initial field results shows significantly lower adhesion to surfaces.