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The world wants to chew gum, but doesn’t want it to stick to false teeth,
floors, clothing or carpets. Warner-Lambert of New Jersey claims to have the
answer (WO 00/08944). Chewing gum is made from a mix of materials that dissolve
when chewed and elastomers that don’t. The problem lies with the waxy resins
which soften the rubbery mix. The new gum replaces the softener with protein
from grain and a glycol plasticiser. The mix is heated to 40 °C and kneaded
to trap the plasticiser inside a denatured protein matrix. The result is gum
that feels soft but not sticky.