# Nutritional Facts on Chewing Gum. Are Figures Provided for Chewing or Ingesting It? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 22, 2003, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutritional-facts-on-chewing-gum-are-figures-provided-for-chewing-or-ingesting-it/203147 "2003-09-22T18:35:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutritional-facts-on-chewing-gum-are-figures-provided-for-chewing-or-ingesting-it/203147/1 "2003-09-22T18:35:23Z")
Please notice how I tactfully avoid using the terms spit, swallow and wad in the same sentence. My fellow pervs on the board are the last people in the world I want to hear wise-cracks from with regards to such a _pressing, life-or-death_ question. Not that I’m much of a calorie counter, and just for the record, I really don’t keep tabs on my daily intake of Dietary Fiber. But I’m curious as to the “Nutritional Facts” provided on chewing gum packages. For example, on Wrigley’s Extra Sugarfree Gum:[ul][li]Weight (grams) 2.7[_] **Calories 5** [_]Carbohydrates (grams) 2[_]Polyols_ (grams) 2[_]Protein 0[_]Fat/Cholesterol 0[_]Sodium 0[_]Other Minerals and Vitamins Neg.[/ul][/li] My question is a simple one: **Is the (FDA mandated) nutritional information on a package of gum based on:[list=a][li]Chewing the gum,[_]Ingesting the gum, or[_]Are those figures one in the same?**[/list][/li] My inclination is that the ‘5 calorie’ figure provided is based solely on chewing the gum for a reasonable amount of time and then disposing of it in a proper fashion. _(Like under your seat, out on the sidewalk, below your desk, atop a subway platform or under the bar)_. But I can’t be certain. For starters, no where on the package does it state a warning about ingesting chewing gum. In this day in age, where the trial lawyers would have sued the gum companies for failing to provide proper warnings about the hazards of not disposing of one’s gum in the correct fashion, I have to assume there are no negative consequences to gulping down a flavorless wad of your favorite brand. But who am I to say for sure? Secondly, if the nutritional figures are (as I assume) based on chewing and not “eating” the gum; How can there be that many artificial flavors and chemicals in one little stick of Extra sugar-free gum that it puts 2 whole grams of carbs into your body via the saliva? That seems excessive. I e-mailed Wrigley’s in Chicago and asked them my question. I copied it, changed the brand names and asked Trident the same thing. Presently, neither have yet to reply. > [@](#): > > Gentlemen: > > I’m the father of two children. Kids who could best be described as “cud chewing cows” whenever there’s a stick of your gum in the immediate vicinity. I have a couple of quick related questions with regards to (1) chewing gum in general and (2) the nutritional facts listed on your web site and packages of your sugar-free gum. Questions I do not see addressed on your FAQ page. > > First: As a rule, people spit out gum when they’re finished chewing it. Others, for whatever reason, opt to swallow it. > > Are there any (non-old wive’s tales) reasons to not swallow chewing gum? > Are there any negative health effects from ingesting chewing gum? > Has anyone ever died, or filed a civil claim against your company for getting chewing gum stuck in their windpipe? > > Secondly: > With regards to the swallowing or ingesting of gum. > > Are the nutritional facts listed for Extra Brand sugar free gum based on: > Chewing the gum, > Ingesting the gum, or > Are those figures one in the same? > > Any information you could provide would be greatly appreciated. Now I personally don’t think it’s that difficult a question to answer, but to this date, I’ve yet to receive either of their replies. So hence, I ask you all: Are the Nutritional Facts on Chewing Gum Provided for the Chewing or Ingesting of It? Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutritional-facts-on-chewing-gum-are-figures-provided-for-chewing-or-ingesting-it/203147/2 "2003-09-22T20:37:27Z")
I can answer #2 easily. The answer is (4) none of the above. Caloric content is determined by adding together the Calorie values of the contents, regardless of whether one can reasonably expect them to be consumed, or even produce that many calories when consumed. Your sugar-free gum contains 2 grams of polyols (probably sorbitol and/or xylitol). These are carbohydrates, so your gum contains 2 grams of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates contribute roughly 3 Calories per gram, so your gum is said to “have” 6 Calories. Nutritional labels round off to the nearest 5 Calories, so there you are. ---
**Author:** ![Dignan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@Dignan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dignan)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutritional-facts-on-chewing-gum-are-figures-provided-for-chewing-or-ingesting-it/203147/3 "2003-09-22T21:58:49Z")
My nutrition professor (PhD, RD) briefly mentioned during a lecture that gum doesn’t really have much nutritional value if swallowed, though it does provide some fiber. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutritional-facts-on-chewing-gum-are-figures-provided-for-chewing-or-ingesting-it/203147/4 "2003-09-22T22:29:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Nametag \* > **I can answer #2 easily. The answer is (4) none of the above. Caloric content is determined by adding together the Calorie values of the contents, regardless of whether one can reasonably expect them to be consumed, or even produce that many calories when consumed.** [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3\_114c.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_114c.html) “Turns out you don’t count fiber, which is abundant in bran. Even though fiber is a carbohydrate, it passes through the body undigested, hence no calories.” The count appears to have some regard for what’s _absorbed_ at an rate. You’d say all foods are rated solely on their composition? That sounds likely, though I don’t have a cite or anything. ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2003, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nutritional-facts-on-chewing-gum-are-figures-provided-for-chewing-or-ingesting-it/203147/5 "2003-09-26T20:36:35Z")
Just in case someone else wants the answer to such a _critically important_ question, this reply just showed up in my e-mail box. > [@](#): > > From: [PR@wrigley.com](mailto:PR@wrigley.com) | This is spam | Add to Address Book > To: [johnbuckwld@yahoo.com](mailto:johnbuckwld@yahoo.com) > Subject: > Date: Fri, 26 Sep 2003 14:27:29 -0500 > > Dear Mr. Buck: > > Thank you for writing to let us know you are concerned about the digestibility of chewing gum. > > Many people seem to harbor misconceptions about chewing gum, and we’ve received many letters over the years asking about the digestibility of our product. To give you some background, chewing gum is made of five basic ingredients – sugar, corn syrup, softeners, flavors and gum base (the insoluble part that puts the “chew” in chewing gum). The first four ingredients are soluble and are extracted from the gum as you chew. Although gum base is not intended to be swallowed, if it is, gum base simply passes through one’s system as other roughage does. This normally takes only a few days. > > Incidentally, chewing gum is a food product, so all ingredients used in it may be used in chewing gum in compliance with U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations. > > In response to your second question about the nutritional facts, since we manufacture Wrigley’s gum to be only chewed, not swallowed, the nutritional information would reflect what you get from chewing the gum. The ingredients are released during your chew and mixed in with your saliva and swallowed during the duration of your chew. Therefore, most of the ingredients would be ingested even before you might swallow the gum. > > Thank you for your interest. We hope this information will be helpful. > > Sincerely, > > Denise Young > Consumer Relations Coordinator > WM. WRIGLEY JR. COMPANY It’ll be interesting to see if Trident has the same response