Is Gum Vegan?
I was just wondering about gum. I noticed that some brands of gum are vegan, and others aren’t. Can you tell me the difference between the two so I know which ones to buy?
Vegan4K.com
Vegan Lifestyle Advisor
Comments
Yes, chewing gum is vegan. It’s not deliberate that people think it isn’t, but many vegetable gums are used in the process. There are even low-calorie varieties if you want to be careful about what you’re putting in your mouth. Personally, I prefer to avoid chewing bubbles altogether because it causes me jaw pain.
The two primary ingredients in chewing gum are synthetic rubber and sugar blends. Both of these products come from petroleum. Vegetable oils, for example, cannot be used to make chewing gum because they do not have the right chemical composition that will allow the product to fully harden in a cold environment.
Yes, the gum is vegan since it does not contain any animal products in its manufacturing process. However, given the information at hand, there is a high probability that you’re consuming petroleum fatty acids when you chew a stick of gum – so many vegans don’t want to support the oil industry’s extraction practices or have access to these byproducts when making their food choices which extends beyond what goes into vegetarian diets alone!
Although the gum base is suitable for vegans, it can be added with unsuitable components such as gelatin, glycerin of animal origin or beeswax, therefore it is essential to pay attention to the labels or consult the manufacturer