As of 2024, the UK chewing gum market is valued at approximately £350 million, maintaining a steady growth rate despite economic uncertainties. This growth is attributed to several factors:
- Health-Conscious Consumers – there is a rising demand for sugar-free and functional gums that offer additional benefits such as teeth whitening, breath freshening, and even stress relief.
- Innovative Flavors and Textures – manufacturers are constantly experimenting with new flavours and textures to attract a diverse consumer base. Exotic flavours and longer-lasting tastes are particularly popular.
- E-commerce and Convenience Stores – the shift towards online shopping and the proliferation of convenience stores have made it easier for consumers to access a wide variety of gum products.
Despite challenger brands only encompassing 3% of the market share, these companies have seen substantial growth in the gum sector. The average time a gum consumer takes to make a purchasing decision is just 3 seconds, so a clear and concise message is needed to win customers.
Our Chewing Gum Expertise
TasteTech’s innovative encapsulation technology can be used to create a futuristic gum. Our process allows manufacturers to mask bitter notes, extend chew time and even create a gum that can be used to administer medicines.
Our ongoing collaboration with the University of Nottingham’s International Flavour Research Group, combined with over 30 years’ experience in the chewing gum industry, puts us in a unique and advantageous position to create pioneering gums for the market.
We recently developed a Guava & Ginger gum, pairing Caribbean flavours with the recognisable warmth of ginger. These innovative flavour profiles will not only grab the eye of the consumer but will encourage repeat purchase due to the unique sensory experience.
Whether you’re looking to develop the next big nutritional gum or simply want an incredible mint formulation, get in touch to find out how we can help you on your development journey.
We recently had the pleasure of welcoming Jing Feng to TasteTech for a week-long placement, to work on the next phase of her PhD study at the University of Nottingham. Jing is exploring the potential of using encapsulated ingredients in chewing gum to restore a lost sense of taste or smell. This article looks into the background of the project, TasteTech’s involvement, and the ultimate goals of this innovative project. You can read more bout this project in this article.
Recently, Covid-19 has brought a lot of attention to the issue of flavour loss, with some people suffering short-term sensory issues and others experiencing an ongoing loss of taste and smell. These senses can also be lost with age, or due to head trauma or nerve damage.
The Research Team
After completing her Master’s Degree in Food Science and Sensory Studies, Jing worked as a research assistant in food science. Two years later, she moved to the UK to start her PhD at the University of Nottingham, alongside her supervisor, Dr Nicole Yang. Dr Yang is an accomplished Flavour Scientist who is due to speak at this year’s Pangborn Sensory Science Symposium, a leading event in sensory and consumer science.
The Project
Traditionally, essential oils are used to restore a lost sense of smell through olfactory training. However, this does very little to stimulate the sense of taste. Dr Yang proposed chewing gum as an effective alternative, as it stays in the mouth for an extended time while triggering the multimodal sensations of smell, taste and chemesthesis. Through this project, Jing and the research team hope to stimulate multiple senses through trigeminal stimuli, using ingredients such as capsicum for a heating effect. TasteTech has been able to support with the selection of suitable flavours, developing the formulation and, more recently, creating the gum samples – which was the purpose of Jing’s recent visit to our site.
Jing at TasteTech
During her time at TasteTech, Jing worked alongside our NPD Innovation Lead Technologist Reece Reynolds. She gained hands-on experience in gum formulation and production, which she found incredibly valuable. Jing also had access to our state-of-the-art facilities, including our bespoke spray-dryer, of which she said “I’ve never seen a spray dryer that big. I was shocked!”
What’s Next?
Ultimately, the project aims to create an alternative training program which utilises the chewing gum to aid in restoring taste and smell. The next phase involves selecting potential flavours that enhance flavour perception, including trigeminal stimuli such as hot and cool sensations. Jing plans to evaluate different flavour combinations, analyse them using sensory and machine-based methods, and eventually conduct a test program to assess the effectiveness of the chewing gum as a restorative treatment.
Get Involved
If you’ve been affected by a loss of taste or smell, no matter the cause, Jing is currently recruiting volunteers for the test program. You can get in touch with the team using the email address below.
sb-chewinggum-study@exmail.nottingham.ac.uk
We’re really proud to have been able to support Jing’s work. Covid-19 has exposed a great number of people to the effects of altered flavour perception, such as anosmia (loss of smell) and ageusia (loss of taste). We hope that this project can relieve some of the problems caused by these conditions.
We're working with the University of Nottingham to investigate how encapsulation technology could help people who have lost their sense of smell or taste.
Losing your sense of smell (Anosmia) and taste (Ageusia) is more common than you may think. Globally, 900 million people suffered loss of smell or taste in 2015, and a predicted 1 in 6 people aged 65+ will be affected by 2050. The number has increased significantly due to the Covid-19 virus, involving vast numbers of people of all age groups.
TasteTech is working with Dr Nicole Yang, an Assistant Professor in International Flavour Group at the University of Nottingham, and her PhD student Jing Feng. They will carry out a four-year study into how encapsulated ingredients in chewing gum could help stimulate these senses. They hope to discover how to aid a more effective recovery.
Losing your senses
Most people are lucky enough to take smell and taste for granted, but our senses connect us to the world. Reducing sensory input can lead to malnutrition, weight loss, food poisoning, depression, and other issues.
As it is one of the effects of Covid-19, the recent pandemic has brought mainstream attention to the issue. People of all ages have suffered a loss of smell or taste, as well as processes known as chemesthesis. These chemically initiated sensations occur via the touch system. Examples include the burn of capsaicinoids in chillies, the cooling of menthol in peppermint, and the tingle of carbonation in a fizzy drink.
Developing a new training system
The current smell training system for sufferers with loss of smell or taste uses essential oils to trigger a response. However, this is designed to trigger a smell response, and the scent does not last particularly long. The study will attempt to develop a robust multimodal system to stimulate smell, taste and trigeminal sensations over time. We will use ingredients such as menthol (cooling) or capsaicin (heat) to help retrain sufferers’ senses.
Dr Yang has proposed chewing gum as the perfect application as it stays in the mouth for an extended time. TasteTech will design encapsulated ingredients that are ideally suited to the task. The encapsulation technology helps delay the release of ingredients, so their effects last throughout the chew time. The proposed project successfully secured a PhD position via the Doctoral Training Programme (DTP) at the University of Nottingham, and Jing joined the team as a research student.
Jing Feng, the researcher carrying out the study, had this to say:
“As a researcher in food science, I am well aware of the importance of the sense of odour and taste and how losing them could have a huge impact on the quality of life. When I heard my friend’s story and read about people losing the sense of smell and taste after COVID, of how their coffees taste like sewage, how they have to add a lot more seasoning just to make the beef stew tastes like before, I decided to do something with that. I am lucky to be part of this project, where we try our best to alleviate the pain of suffering and the fear of being suffered. So far, we identified chewing gum as a potential tool, as it stimulates olfaction, gustation and trigeminal sensations. The encapsulation of ingredients is regarded as a very promising technique to longer the flavour of chewing gum.”
Multidisciplinary research team
This project has a strong collaborative research team to support Jing, including four academics at the University of Nottingham:
Step by step
To achieve this goal of developing a robust smell and taste training system, the research team will deliver the project in three steps:
- Design gum – Using data gathered from panel and instrument testing the sensory profile of ingredients to design the ideal gum.
- Analysis – Analyse the effectiveness of the gum and work with sufferers to tweak the sensory profile and optimise the effect.
- Training system – develop a training system to go with the gum
Every step will be led by data and analysis, leading to a proven and effective system.
More to come
This blog is just the first on this long term project. We will be sharing different aspects of the study, so keep an eye on the TasteTech blog for updates.
If you have any questions about this study, please get in touch or follow this link to learn more about our encapsulated ingredients for chewing gum.
If you are interested in knowing more about various research activities and opportunities at the International Flavour Research Group at the University of Nottingham, please follow them via their social media links (Twitter, LinkedIn).
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Environmentally-friendly chewing gum.
Most large-scale manufacturers of chewing gum use synthetic rubber compounds for their base. These don’t biodegrade, thus making it impossible to justify any green credentials. However, by using a natural, biodegradable gum base like chicle, there could be an opportunity to reduce the environmental impact.
Data from Mintel shows that 35% more natural gum products have been released since the beginning of 2019, compared to the previous 8 years combined (Mintel 2020). This rise in popularity mirrors a broader consumer awareness of environmental and ethical issues. Trendsetting brands are capitalising on this.
Natural challenges
As many gum manufacturers will agree, creating natural gums is challenging. There are serious limitations on ingredients, making it extremely difficult to improve the function and texture of the gum base. Synthetic gum can be fine-tweaked to get the best qualities for a specific formulation. You can adjust softness and hardness, or you can tailor the gum to hold onto or release certain nutraceuticals. With natural gum – within reason – what you have is what you get.
Natural gum can also be limiting due to its inconsistency, both in quality and batch variation. TasteTech has a range of flavouring solutions that work with any kind of gum base. We source and encapsulate the highest-quality natural ingredients to provide benefits to both the manufacturer and consumer.
How TasteTech can help
Over the last few years, TasteTech has worked with several companies to develop natural gum that mimics the properties of synthetic versions.
A start-up chewing gum manufacturer approached TasteTech to improve the quality and flavour of their vegan biodegradable gum. We invited them to visit our site in Bristol to work with our gum experts to develop a range of possible solutions. After a full research and development day, including experiments with multiple flavours, sweeteners, acids and coolants, the customer had two concepts ready for consumer taste trials.
Having learned their specific requirements, our Confectionery Food Technologist, Oliver Semmence, continues to work closely with the customer. He provides ongoing support and opportunities to experiment with our product range, to create class-leading chewing gum products.
If you are developing a natural gum product and want to find out more, please get in touch.
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Encapsulated Sucralose vs Un-Encapsulated Sucralose
At TasteTech we actively test our products to prove their unique qualities in applications. Testing means we can provide our customers with the highest level of technical information and support they require.
Over the last 25 years, our encapsulated high-intensity sweeteners (HIS) have been used by chewing gum manufacturers around the world to extend the chew time of their products.
Purpose and method
To better demonstrate the benefits of encapsulating HIS we decided to carry out a study. This study was specifically designed to show the difference in chew time between gum with encapsulated HIS and gum with un-encapsulated HIS.
In April 2017, we conducted a blind study using our trained internal tasters to determine the effect of encapsulated HIS on chew time. Our internal tasting panel is experienced in tasting gum, having carried out many previous tests.
For this study, the tasting panel calibrated their perception of sucralose using ten samples of water, each sweetened to a different level using a 0 – 10 scale. This ensured their responses were based on identical sweetness levels. They were then given a number of gums each with a unique reference and asked to chew one every 24 hours, and record the end time when they no longer perceived any sweetness in the chewing gum.
Results
Observation
The results of this small study confirmed that encapsulating high-intensity sweeteners (sucralose in this study), extends the perception of sweetness in chewing gum. It is clear from this study that the perception of sweetness is extended when encapsulated sucralose is used as a chewing gum sweetener.
Free sample
Sucralose is just one of the high-intensity sweeteners that TasteTech offers. To request a sample of any of our HIS please click here or use the form below.
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Comparing Encapsulation Technology Effects on Chewing Gum Acid
TasteTech has a range of encapsulates that provide different advantages for different applications. For example, our encapsulated high-intensity sweeteners help to extend the chew time of gum. Our chewing gum acid range includes Matrix Particle and CoreShell technologies, which have different benefits depending on the type of gum being made. To demonstrate this, we compared Matrix and CoreShell encapsulates against a commercially available fluid bed encapsulation system.
TasteTech’s Matrix Encapsulation system encloses one or more active ingredients within an insoluble barrier material. This produces a tiny, hydrophobic particle that can withstand a high degree of stress. In gum, this means that each chew releases another small particle of the active material, thus prolonging the effect.
On the other hand, our CoreShell technology wraps each particle of the active material in a barrier layer, giving a more intense burst without the longevity. We compared these two methods against Fluid Bed encapsulation, which results in a central mass of active ingredient surrounded by a coating of barrier material.
The objective of this study was to determine whether the three encapsulation systems produced notably different effects in a sugar-free gum. We wanted to determine how the encapsulates affect the texture of the gum, the perceived length of time the chewing gum acid was noticeable, and the release profile throughout the chew.
Method
Three batches of unflavoured, unsweetened sugar-free gums were made with an equal amount of citric acid. These were then presented to a trained tasting panel (n=13), who commented on length of acid perception, gum texture and acid release profile. The tasting panel was required to chew one gum a day for three consecutive days. Each participant was asked to chew the gum at a speed of 50 chews a minute.
Results
The majority of participants thought that TasteTech’s Matrix Particle encapsulation system produced the longest perceivable acid. The encapsulation effectively delays and controls the release of chewing gum acid throughout the chew, resulting in a delayed perception followed by a low continuous release of acid for an average of 6 minutes 43 seconds. This type of encapsulation is perfect for a flavour modulator in fruit flavoured chewing gum, as it will enhance the flavour and allow the gum to last longer.
Due to the initial delay in acid perception, TasteTech recommends using a combination of unencapsulated acid and encapsulated acid to achieve the high initial acidic impact followed by the prolonged acid perception. TasteTech’s CoreShell encapsulated citric acid provides instant acid perception with a high initial spike that drops off quickly. This acid loses its potency after 90 seconds and becomes unperceivable after an average of 3 minutes 42 seconds.
Finally, Fluid Bed encapsulated 80% citric acid sits between TasteTech’s two encapsulation systems. It doesn’t last as long as the Matrix Particle and it doesn’t produce the same high impact as the CoreShell. It provides a medium-high impact that lasts on average for 5 minutes 42 seconds.
Read the full chewing gum acid comparison study
This is just an extract from our full report, which goes into more detail. To see the full study simply fill out the form below.
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Try the new TasteTech GumKit and experience longer-lasting gum for yourself.
We are a global leader in the field of encapsulation technology for the food industry. Our new GumKit has been specifically designed to help manufacturers create longer lasting chewing gum.
Our innovative GumKit demonstrates the benefits of using TasteTech matrix particle technology in sugar-free chewing gum formulations. Encapsulated flavourings have been shown to improve the delivery of sweetness, acidity and overall flavour profile.
Rob McCarthy, Product Manager for Confectionery, said, “We know that the chewing gum industry is always looking for innovative new forms of technology to help deliver high quality, premium products. TasteTech have demonstrated that incorporating the use of encapsulated flavourings and ingredients can help deliver an improved consumer experience and longer lasting taste.”
To accompany the launch of our new GumKit, we have published two studies confirming the effectiveness of our encapsulation technology.
McCarthy continues “We are continually assessing the performance of our encapsulates to establish their effectiveness. These studies clearly demonstrate the positive impact of our Matrix Particle technology within a standard sugar-free chewing gum formulation.”
To find out more about the kit, read our white papers, or order your GumKit, click here.
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Create longer lasting gum with TasteTech encapsulation
Encapsulated ingredients in chewing gum offer many benefits. Manufacturers often include high intensity sweeteners, food acids and flavourings in chewing gum. This improves the flavour whilst minimising its calorific content and effect on tooth decay. It may be logical to think that in order to make the gum taste better for longer, we simply add more of these ingredients. However, this may be cost inefficient and could have a negative effect on the consumer’s perception of the gum. Luckily, encapsulation can help.
Optimising taste perception
Overdosing flavour ingredients in gum simply serves to overload our taste receptors. Whilst our sensory organs are sensitive to change at low concentrations they are relatively insensitive at high concentrations. We will probably notice the difference between a 10g/litre and 20g/litre sugar solution. However, it might be harder to distinguish between 100g/litre and 110g/litre. A consumer’s response to increased flavour over a certain point gets weaker and weaker. Eventually the perceived taste is topped out and no additional flavour ingredient can be detected. Any additional flavouring ingredient added above this point is simply adding cost with little benefit.
A better way
At TasteTech we know there is a better way. Our Matrix encapsulation technology protects the ingredients as the consumer chews. In our dissolution tests, Matrix encapsulated ingredients last almost 3.5 minutes longer than unencapsulated ingredients, with lower dosing required. This means longer lasting gum without wasted, overdosed ingredients.
Best of both worlds
The best way to get a high impact flavour is to use quick releasing unencapsulated ingredients in tandem with encapsulated ones. This way, you get the immediate flavour impact combined with the longer lasting flavour experience that customers want.
Read the full study
This is just a small part of the study. Get in touch to request the full study and find out more about encapsulated ingredients in chewing gum.
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With Encapsulated High-Intensity Sweeteners
Many manufacturers use un-encapsulated, high-intensity sweeteners, but these are highly soluble and the impact fades quickly. Bulk sweeteners are predominately used to provide the expected mouthfeel. If this combination of sweeteners results in gum that rarely lasts longer than 10 minutes, could encapsulated high-intensity sweeteners be the answer to longer lasting chewing gum?
TasteTech’s encapsulation technology has been designed to make high-intensity sweeteners less water soluble, meaning they are slowly released as you chew. Our matrix particle uses an insoluble barrier material to protect the particles of sweetener, and can even allow a blend of more than one sweetener in each particle.
Not only this but due to the way that each particle contains multiple pockets of the active material(s) the shearing effect of chewing releases a new burst of flavour with each chew.
This process extends the sweetness by delaying the onset of bitterness from the gum base or other bitter materials in the recipe allowing gum to frequently last longer than 10 minutes.
The results
When comparing just the gums with encapsulated and un-encapsulated high-intensity sweeteners the encapsulated sweetener provides a longer chew time. The sweetness levels of the un-encapsulated high-intensity sweeteners show a higher initial impact but no signs of sweetness after ten minutes. However, the encapsulated high-intensity sweeteners last much longer, still showing sweetness after 20 minutes.
These results illustrate that in terms of extending the chew time of gum, encapsulated sweetener is the best option to consistently achieve the desired results.
Extending the chew time of gum is an exceptional way to improve customer satisfaction. Our study shows that encapsulated high-intensity sweeteners reliably extend the chew time beyond 10 minutes, something un-encapsulated high-intensity sweeteners rarely achieve. When combined, the overall effect is even more desirable, providing a consistent flavour profile and a longer lasting chewing gum.
If you have any questions or to read the full study fill out the form below or for more on our sweeteners, head over to our sweetener pages here and here.
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TasteTech’s encapsulated high-intensity sweeteners (HIS) are designed to produce longer lasting flavour in sugar free chewing gum. They can also improve consumer experience and even reduce costs.
Going the distance
Our encapsulated HIS have an insoluble barrier, delaying their release and extending the flavour throughout the chew. HIS release quickly in their unencapsulated because they are highly water-soluble. Also, as the consumer chews the gum, all the sweetener is released in one go. Our matrix particle encapsulation technique is designed to extend the release of HIS. Not only is the encapsulation barrier insoluble, but each particle has multiple pockets of the active ingredient inside, meaning that each chew releases another burst of sweetness.
Working together
We believe that the ideal customer experience is an intense burst of flavour that lasts. To achieve this, we recommend using a combination of free and encapsulated sweeteners. The free sweeteners give a burst at the start of the chew, before the encapsulated sweeteners get to work, providing a longer-lasting sweetness and flavour. The graph below compares the sweetness intensities over time of gum made with free, encapsulated and a combination of the two.
As you can see the free sweetener in blue has an intense impact from the very start then trails off rapidly, whereas the encapsulated sweeteners in pink show a gradual rise that lasts far longer. We believe that the green line, which represents the blend of free and encapsulated sweeteners, shows the best results. It starts with a high-intensity burst that comes from the free sweeteners but doesn’t have the rapid decline due to the steady release of the encapsulated HIS meaning the gum tastes great from start to finish.
The right levels
Encapsulation isn’t the only way that gum manufacturers try to extend the chew time of their gum. Many choose to dose unencapsulated HIS up to the legal limit. Unfortunately, as free sweeteners are highly soluble they flood the taste buds with sweetener. In fact, the maximum EU legislative amounts for some sweeteners can be higher than the amount people perceive, so dosing them at the legal limits results in sweetener being wasted. Avoiding this wastage is an effective way to potentially reduce costs in manufacturing.
Teaming up
Alongside encapsulation and dosing, another technique for getting the best out of HIS is blending sweeteners together to further enhance flavour perception. The industry standard blend of Aspartame and Acesulphame K has been shown to improve the perceived sweetness in the gum by more than the sum of its parts. This blend is just one that’s available and making a unique blend could be a smart way for manufacturers to make their gum stand out from the crowd.
Stick around
There are many techniques and skills for keeping consumers brand loyal and ensuring they come back time after time. Using blends of different sweeteners as well as a mix of free and encapsulated means manufacturers are doing everything they can to make their gum stand out. No matter the technical sweetness level, the blend of sweeteners used or the dosing limit, the consumers’ perception is the crucial factor.
For more information on our High-Intensity Sweeteners, click here.
To read our whitepapers and studies, fill out the form below.
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