Whether the chewing gum with plastic has immediate health consequences for us humans or not, we leave aside for a moment. And as long as plastic in chewing gum is considered harmless to health, the plastic will probably continue to be contained in the chewing mass.Įnvironmental problem due to plastic in chewing gum It should also be clear in any case that the high sugar content in chewing gum has health consequences.īasically, however, Hutter also says that the chewing mass as a "toxicoligical rather unsuspicious". This has been confirmed by toxicologists at the Federal Environment Agency. Plasticizers, for example, are also the reason why the sperm quality of humans has declined sharply in recent decades. This is extremely concerning because plasticizers, or phthalates, have already been banned as components of toys in the European Union because they can cause hormonal changes. Hutter's study has shown that people who regularly chew gum have a higher concentration of degradation products of the chemical softeners than people who do not chew gum. In the following, I would therefore like to explain the effects of chewing gum on your health and our environment: How does plastic in chewing gum affect our health?
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How dangerous is chewing gum if it contains plastic? This question is probably floating around in your head right now, right? He proved that the chewing mass before, for example, from the plastics Polyvinyl ether and Polyisobutene exists. This is because the chewing mass of the chewing gum is not an additive, but a crucial food ingredient.₃īut the already mentioned environmental physician Hans-Peter Hutter could confirm with his study that the chewing mass of chewing gums nowadays consists mainly of plastics. The fact that manufacturers like Wrigley's insist that the composition of the chewing mass is a trade secret is unfortunately legal. While all of the above ingredients can be clearly assigned, the term "chewing mass" rather undefined and can basically mean anything.
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The ingredients of the chewing gum (Wrigley's Extra)
![i like chewing on plastic i like chewing on plastic](https://cdn.friendsoftheearth.uk/sites/default/files/styles/hero_image/public/media/images/yellow-plastic-ball-hiding.jpg)
Gum, sweeteners xylitol, sorbitol thickener gum arabic, humectant glycerin, flavors, bulking agent calcium phosphates, emulsifier soy lecithin, sweeteners aspartame, acesulfame K colorant E171, acidity regulator sodium hydrogen carbonate, glazing agent carnauba wax, antioxidant BHA, colorant E133. To take a closer look at the ingredients in conventional chewing gum, let's take a look at a Example an: In food chemistry, the main justification for plastic as a component of chewing gum is that it is No natural products available in the necessary quantities stand.₂ If a manufacturer does not advertise that it offers all-natural chewing gum, then it must be assumed that the gum contains plastic.
![i like chewing on plastic i like chewing on plastic](https://www.creativeboom.com/uploads/articles/38/38b9aa44dae3e1cb0cc3a9df3def1bbef3b31805_810.jpg)
Unfortunately, only very few people know that they are chewing on plastic.įind out how much plastic is in chewing gum, whether it's a health hazard and what alternatives we have in this article. Around 9.7 million people₁ have stated that they chew gum several times a week. Even though the major manufacturers of chewing gum kept the ingredients of their products a secret for years, it became known at the latest after the results of a study by environmental physician Hans-Peter Hutter: Chewing gums contain Plastic - and we chew the plastic almost every day. That Plastic in chewing gums was not necessarily to be expected.