How to make your own gum? How to make chewing gum. The production process is interesting
Chewing gum is a sweetened, flavored confection consisting primarily of latex, both natural and artificial.
What is chewing gum made of?
Organic latex, a milky white liquid produced by various seed-bearing plants, is best known as the main component of rubber. Used as a snack, gum has no nutritional value, and when people finish chewing, they usually throw it away rather than swallow it.
Throughout history, people in many regions have chosen natural chewing and aromatic substances as breath fresheners or thirst quenchers. The Greeks used tree resin; Italians, incense; West Indians, aromatic branches; Arabs, beeswax.
Tree resins appear to have been the most popular, and spruce sap was the chewing substance of choice for centuries in North America before New England colonists began using it for their own pleasure.
Who invented chewing gum?
Although spruce resin was available to anyone willing to go into the forest and extract it from the tree, John Curtis and his son John Bacon Curtis thought they could package and sell it. In the mid-1800s, they experimented with the first production of chewing gum. They first boiled the spruce gum and skimmed off impurities such as remaining bark before adding sugar and other fillers.
They then rolled it up, let it cool, and cut it into sticks, which they dipped in cornstarch, wrapped in paper, and placed in small wooden boxes. The Curtis Company prospered and the business grew even further when the younger Curtis developed a machine to mass produce gum and founded the first chewing gum factory. Curtis's production process is about the same as for making hand-made chewing gum.
Factory production of chewing gum
Despite Curtis's success, very few other spruce gum factories were established during the nineteenth century. However, in 1869, William F. Semple took out the first patent for chewing gum. His formula was the earliest attempt to create a latex-based rubber resin, but he never produced or sold it. However, chewing gum as we know it today was first made by Thomas Adams this year.
Adams began mass-producing latex-based resin after meeting the famous Mexican general Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, who wanted Adams to help him introduce rubber tree sap from Sapodilla trees in Mexico and Central America as a cheap substitute for erasers. Adams could not find a way to treat the rubber to make it usable, but he thought it would make a superior chewing gum that would easily replace paraffin, the tasteless wax that dominated the chewing gum market at the time. To give the gum the correct size and consistency, Adams placed the resin in hot water until it had the consistency of putty.
He then seasoned the latex with sassafras and licorice, kneaded it and formed it into small balls. In 1871, Adams was the first to patent a machine for making chewing gum. The machine kneaded the gum and molded it into long, thin strips that could be cut by pharmacists, who were the most common direct sellers of chewing gum in the early days of its existence and sale. Adams' venture proved successful, and his American company, Chicle, and its chewing gum are still in existence today.
The most successful chewing gum company
The most successful chewing gum company that was ever created was made by William Wrigley Jr. in 1892. Although the company, run by the founder's son and grandson after his death in 1932, developed a wide range of flavored resins, it lost many of these lines to focus on its biggest slogans: "Juicy Fruit," "Doublemint" and "Wrigley Spirited Mint."
The company recently introduced gum for denture wearers, sugar-free gum, cinnamon-flavored gum and non-stick gum. Like Wrigley's previous products, they all proved popular. The secret to the success of Wrigley gum - something the company has never done - is a strong scent and famous advertising. As William Wrigley Jr. said at the turn of the century, "Tell 'em fast and tell 'em often" is the key to success.
What is modern chewing gum?
Today, chewing gum is probably even more popular than before, at least among young people. However, in 1906, the first attempt at creating chewing gum failed when consumers discovered that Blibber Blubber was too moist and grainy. It wasn't until 1928 that Walter Diemer, a young Fleer employee, developed an acceptable bubble gum, marketed as "Dubble Bubble." (The famous pink color of bubble gum was almost an accident: Fleur was that color.) During the 1930s and 1940s, the invention of synthetic rubbers greatly helped bubble gum manufacturers, as they no longer had to rely on irregular supplies of imported natural rubber.What types of chewing gum are there?
Although basic chewing gum has remained roughly the same for over a century, several different types have recently become available. For example, deodorized sugar-free gum was developed in the 1970s, along with nicotine chewing gum, liquid chewing gum, athlete's gum, chewing gum that does not stick to dentures, and chewing gum that does not stick to the face. More recently, some manufacturers have tried to add abrasives to chewing gum, marketing it as a good teeth cleaner.Raw materials for chewing gum
The chewing gum industry in the United States has come a long way from lumberjacks crushing chunks of spruce resin for chewing pleasure to the types of synthetic rubber gum we have today. But, nevertheless, the resin base remains the sap of various rubber trees or, in most cases, a synthetic substitute for such sap.Natural gum bases include latexes such as chicle, jelutong, gutta-percha, and pine rosin. Over time, natural resins other than chicle were increasingly used because chicle has very little resin: the tree produces only three ounces (one kilogram) of chicle every three to four years, and no cicle plantations were established.
However, natural latex, today, is generally replaced by synthetic substitutes. Most modern gum bases use no natural rubber at all, or a minimal amount in the ten to twenty percent range, with synthetic rubbers such as styrene butadiene rubber, polyethylene and polyvinyl acetate making up the rest of the gum content.
After latex, the second most common component of chewing gum is some kind of sweetener. A typical stick of gum contains 79 percent sugar or artificial sweetener. Natural sugars include sugar cane, corn syrup or dextrose, while artificial sweeteners can be saccharin or aspartame. The popular flavors of mint are typically provided by oils extracted from only the finest, most aromatic plants.
Thus, although the scent of a stick of peppermint resin is very strong and persistent, the flavoring only makes up one percent of the total weight of the resin. Fruit flavors are usually derived from artificial flavors because the quantity of fruit grown cannot meet the demand. For example, apple flavor comes from ethyl acetate and cherry flavor from benzaldehyde. In addition to sweeteners and flavors, preservatives such as butylated hydroxytoluene and softeners such as refined vegetable oil are added to keep the gum fresh, soft and moist. Fillers such as calcium carbonate and cornstarch are also common in any chewing gum.
Federal regulations allow a typical ingredient list on a pack of chewing gum to read as follows: gum base, sugar, corn syrup, natural and/or artificial flavor, softeners, and BHT (added to maintain freshness). This uncertainty is largely due to the fact that chewing gum manufacturers insist that all materials used are part of the trade secret formula.
Chewing gum production
While the specific ingredients in the gum may be a secret, the process of making the gum is not unique. The first chewing gum machine was not even patented, and today the procedure is considered standard throughout the industry.Chewing gum quality control
Perhaps because chewing gum has always had a bad reputation as an unsanitary and gross junk food, but simply because it is intended for human consumption, chewing gum factories have been known for decades to have impeccable clean production conditions.
The standards for raw materials are equally high. If natural rubber such as chicle is used, it must pass several tests for purity and texture. Before shipping, the chicle is checked for stones, dirt and other obvious impurities. If it is too milky, dry or dirty, it is rejected. Chewing gum is made entirely without the use of human hands, and its entire production process takes place in clean, air-conditioned rooms. Every ingredient is tested for purity before use and only the highest quality ingredients are accepted.
Every major company has a research laboratory right on site, which simplifies the routine inspection and testing of ingredients at every stage of the production process. The research and development department is also responsible for studying new ways of producing and packaging chewing gum, as well as for developing new products.
A quality piece of chewing gum should be chewy and fresh, and especially chewing gum should be both springy and soft. With all types of gum, freshness and texture are dependent on humidity. The rubber must also contain the right amount of flavor oil.
While too much solvent will make the gum sticky and difficult to chew, it must contain a strong odor to mask the taste of the gum base and the odor must last for a sufficiently long time. For these reasons, the flavor oils used in chewing gum are highly concentrated. A long shelf life for gum is also desirable, and each pack of gum is dated.
The future of chewing gum
Much of the current research is aimed at creating a durable elastic band. Currently, the flavor of a typical chewing gum lasts five minutes. The most promising idea for long gum entails covering each stick with a polymer film that slowly releases flavor molecules. Research shows that the taste of such resin can last for more than ten hours. Another innovation is chewing gum impregnated with a patented compound that helps restore tooth enamel.
The compound, amorphous calcium phosphate, crystallizes when chewed, causing a natural remineralization process through which the body repairs damaged teeth. Under ideal conditions, the body generates enough amorphous calcium phosphate to organically repair teeth, but many people eat more sugar than their bodies can repair. This experimental gum will help protect these people from tooth decay. Researchers hope that by 2025, such elastic will be sold in stores.
It is always with us, we never leave the house without it, we use it after meals and keep it handy everywhere - this is chewing gum. Almost no modern person can do without it. But not everyone knows how chewing gum is made and what it consists of. Let's talk about this in more detail.
Start of production
In order to understand what chewing gum is made from, let’s dive a little into history. Modern prototypes of this product were mentioned back in the days of the Mayan tribe. True, the description indicates it as hardened hevea juice, or, more simply, rubber. The ancient Greeks also chewed gum; the resin of the mastic tree, which perfectly freshens breath, was especially popular among them. In India, betel leaves and areca palm seeds were used for this purpose. By the way, a similar mixture of seeds is chewed in many Asian countries today.
Modern production is distinguished by complex technologies and a less pure natural composition of the product. It began to develop back in 1848. The world's first large factory was built, of course, in America. It was thanks to her that the rest of the world learned how chewing gum was made and began to consume it in such quantities. Several manufacturers took turns trying to develop its correct formula, ideal for the consumer, but it was only possible in 1928 with Walter Diemer:
- There should be no more than twenty percent rubber in it.
- The main part (up to 60%) is sugar and its substitutes.
- Corn syrup - 19%.
- Flavorings - no more than one percent.
We can blow big bubbles precisely because of this composition.
Now how do they make chewing gum?
The production of chewing gum in our time is practically no different in its technology from that described. True, rubber is now too expensive, and its analogue is synthetic rubber, and in addition to it there is a large set of various preservatives, flavorings and thickeners, without which it is difficult to imagine any modern product.
The basis
The production process is a complex matter, everything here is produced using automatic machines and in large volumes. And it all starts with the basics. It uses plastic and synthetic rubber, which is loaded into a special vat with a mixer. Here the mass is heated and mixed with glucose syrup, dyes and flavors. As a result, it becomes soft and elastic, convenient for further processing.
The most pleasant smells always come from warehouses with flavorings. Here they are found in large quantities, but the interesting thing is that there is not really a specific taste. For example, how do you make watermelon gum? This may require up to thirty different types of flavorings. All of them have their own specific shelf life, lasting from several months to five years. To make the base, they are selected separately and delivered to the workshop in limited quantities.
After making each individual flavor, the large mixer has to be cleaned, this is a very painstaking and time-consuming job, but it is necessary to do this to prevent the flavors from mixing.
Shaping
This is only the beginning of the process, but how do they make chewing gum next? Now let's go to the press. The resulting soft mass is fed into a special machine, which heats it up even more and compresses it, pushing it through a narrow gap. The result is a long, flat ribbon.
The next machine gives it the desired shape, familiar to us, similar to a record, and sends it further along the moving belt into the cooling chamber. We all know the sticky properties of chewing gum. It is necessary precisely for their elimination and subsequent convenient processing of the product.
Divide into pieces
The cooled chewing gum moves further and is cut into identical bars using special knives. Everything happens very quickly, literally in one second up to a thousand pieces are formed and sent for packaging, each of which is sent for mandatory inspection.
Of course, it is random; a person cannot, like an automaton, quickly measure thousands of pads, but such verification is also an important aspect in this production. Each company has a certain boundary between the maximum and minimum size of the product, and if a discrepancy is detected, the entire batch will be sent for recycling. The smoothness and appearance of the chewing gum is also taken into account.
At the packaging phase, everything is automated; here the chewing gum is wrapped in special paper, goes further to packaging and is placed in boxes. So we figured out how chewing gum is made.
Benefit or harm?
Anyone who is interested in how and what chewing gum is made from is sure to ask the question: “How harmful is it to our body?” There is an opinion that its influence is purely negative. But after examining the process, you can see for yourself that this is exactly the same confectionery product as any other, and the harm from chewing gum will be exactly the same as from a cake.
Let us note that the composition of all well-known manufacturers of chewing gum meets high modern requirements and includes only ingredients acceptable for the production of food products. You really shouldn’t chew it for more than a quarter of an hour, as it has a negative effect on the stomach, causing increased digestive processes and, as a result, a large secretion of gastric juice, which corrodes its walls.
Don't forget: dentists indicate that chewing gum is intended solely for freshening breath and enjoying its pleasant taste.
Dirol chewing gum appeared in Russia in October 1993. The Danish family company Dandy first established distribution, and six years later built a plant in Veliky Novgorod to produce chewing gum here. The Dirol and Stimorol brands moved from one company to another several times: in 2003, Dandy was bought by the British confectionery company Cadbury Schweppes, then the plant was transferred to the Russian branch of Kraft Foods, which became part of the international company Mondelēz International in 2013. The Village went to the production facility in Veliky Novgorod to see how chewing gum is made.
Photos
Ivan Anisimov
Production
The plant where Dirol is made is located on the outskirts of the city, but you can get there from the Novgorod Kremlin in five minutes. Danish entrepreneurs from the Dandy company invested more than 2 billion rubles here at the initial stage, and funding over the past six years has amounted to about 1 billion rubles. The metallic-colored industrial complex with large windows looks modern and technologically advanced - the authors of the building project even received an award for the architectural design, but this is not what we notice. The smell stretches throughout the entire territory of the plant - not strong, sweetish and very pleasant. I want to immediately go inside to feel it more clearly.
After the briefing, we put on gowns, gloves, special shoes, tuck our hair under plastic caps and plug earplugs on a string into our ears. In front of the entrance to the production there is a sign with the number “1333” - this is the number of days without accidents, which reminds employees to comply with safety regulations at work. The walk begins from the warehouse, where raw materials are being received at this time. The forward-thinking Danes built the plant in one line in order to be able to lengthen or expand the complex if necessary, which was done three years ago. So, in fact, we go from workshop to workshop in a straight line.
Raw materials arrive at the unloading area every day, and almost all materials are delivered from Europe and America, domestic ones - only honey, talc and maltitol syrup (molasses).
Mondelez International plant
Location: Veliky Novgorod
Opening date: 1999
Employees: 350 people
Factory area: 15,000 m2
Power: up to 30,000 tons of chewing gum and candies per year
What is chewing gum made of?
Chewing gum consists of a rubber base, sweeteners and flavorings. Previously, chewing gum was produced on the basis of natural rubber, but this was a complex and expensive process - now almost no one does this. The synthetic base is made in Ireland and Poland, comes in large bags and looks like small hailstones. It is this that gives the chewing gum its elasticity, ductility and long-lasting taste. There are about ten types of bases - harder and softer; a combination of two types can be used in one chewing gum.
All the scary names on the packaging - isomalt, sorbitol, maltitol, aspartame and acesulfame - are powdered sweeteners that replace sugar. Sweeteners are much more expensive than sugar itself and are produced outside of Russia.
Flavors are divided into liquid and dry (they are stored in two different rooms), as well as synthetic and natural. So, all fruit flavors are synthetic, and mint flavors are extracted from plants. It turns out that the pleasant smell comes from the flavor warehouse. There is no single flavor that conveys a specific taste, such as watermelon. Each flavor is achieved by mixing different ingredients - up to 30 ingredients can be used to achieve a specific flavor. Dirol and Stimorol chewing gums have more than 300 components of different flavors. They have shelf life from three months to five years. A limited quantity is transferred to the workshop, which corresponds to the recipe for a certain taste.
There is an opinion that chewing gum can have a negative impact on the body. “Chewing gum is a food product, a confectionery product. The same high requirements are applied to its quality and safety for consumer health as for any other food product. If we talk about the composition of chewing gum, it uses only ingredients approved for use in food products,” says Andrey Samodin, press secretary for Mondelēz International in Russia.
All flavors undergo the procedure of confirming compliance with the requirements of the Customs Union. In addition, the proportion of flavors in chewing gum is very small. “We use both natural flavors and identical to natural ones. The difference between the two types of flavors is only in the method of production: they are absolutely identical in composition and structure,” says Samodin. According to him, food dyes are also certified and approved for use in food products. However, Dirol and Stimorol chewing gums do not contain sugar, since this ingredient is associated with the formation of caries. Sweeteners can cause a laxative effect if consumed in excess at one time, but for such an effect to occur, it is necessary to consume a large amount of chewing gum at once. Acesulfame is not recommended to consume more than one gram per day, but to get this amount from chewing gum, you need to consume about one kilogram of chewing gum per day (more than 70 packs).
It is really not recommended to chew gum for more than 15 minutes and on an empty stomach to avoid increased formation of gastric juice. “It’s also important to remember that chewing gum is not a substitute for brushing your teeth. Its purpose is to freshen breath, get a pleasant taste and sensation,” notes Samodin.
Chewing gum like a pie
“The production of chewing gum is similar to the production of pies,” says quality control manager Irina Tsareva. - How do we prepare pies? First, we mix the ingredients, roll out the dough, rest it a little, put it in the oven, take it out and pack it.”
From the moment the necessary powders arrive at production until the moment a person chooses the Dirol flavor at the supermarket counter, at least a week passes. Chewing gum production is a technologically complex and nonlinear process with interruptions at almost every stage. There are a total of 15 processing and packaging lines operating here.
The plant has implemented a recipe system: operators who prepare components for mixing receive a recipe, which determines how much and what needs to be taken. In the first room, liquid flavors are mixed - this happens manually: the operator finds the container using a metal tag and adds the required amount of contents to a large tank. The smell we smelled at first becomes much stronger here.
When we move to the room where the ingredients are weighed, it becomes so strong that it hurts our eyes and sores our throats. “You can’t come to any production facility and not smell a specific smell. Any production smells, but ours smells quite pleasant,” Irina answers my question whether such a concentration is harmful. The same team is working here as at the previous site. All workers are wearing respiratory masks - operator Vitaly measures out the required amount of powder, checking the recipe, weighs it and adds it to plastic buckets. This creates a mixture of two to six ingredients, which is then sent to a large mixer.
From mixer to conveyor
In mixers, the mixture of base, flavors and sweeteners takes up to 40 minutes and is heated to a certain temperature. In front of us, a worker opens the mixer after the “session” - it turns out to be a mass that really looks like dough. Each time after unloading the mass, the mixer is cleaned - this takes a lot of effort from the workers. “We cannot allow one taste to mix with another, so the worker must clean the surface - he does it manually, unfortunately, no one in the world has yet figured out how to quickly and efficiently remove chewing gum,” says Irina.
The dough is unloaded into a special container, which goes further - to the pre-extruder and extruder. These machines mix the mass again, and then roll out the layers like a mechanical rolling pin. After a certain thickness is reached, the dough is cut with longitudinal and transverse rollers. The output is plates that can be easily divided into pads. At the factory they are usually called “core” or “bark”. I slow down at the extruder in the hope that now I will get at least one pad, but they are taken to the measurement control point. Foreman Vadim measures the length and width of a random sample of pads using scales and an electronic caliper - they must pass between the minimum and maximum boundaries of the required parameters. The dimensions of one Dirol pad are approximately 19.5 mm by 11.8 mm. An extra hundredth of a millimeter - and the entire batch will be sent for recycling. Recycling is commonplace here. If the pads are not the right size or shape or are not as smooth as desired, they are sent for recycling from any stage of production.
Dirol has the X-Fresh line with a powder center, which is produced differently from chewing gum in strips and pads. The beginning is the same: the base and sweeteners are loaded into the mixer, the mass is mixed and delivered to the extruder. But what comes out of there is not flat dough, but a “sausage”, into the center of which powder is injected. To prevent the dough from sticking to surfaces, oil or talc is used.
If the parameters are checked, the core is sent to a cold warehouse. There the bark is kept for about three days and hardens. After that, she is sent to a machine with the working title “Rumble,” which, by vibrating, breaks the sheets into individual tablets. Next they will have to undergo the panning process.
The coating machine looks like a washing machine. You can look into the drum and see how the suspension is fed into it - water, sweetener and flavorings. A powerful flow of dry air removes the water, and the suspension covers the core in approximately 40 layers. This is how chewing gum acquires its final appearance and consistency.
The packaging workshop is automated. “If earlier workers manually put packs of chewing gum into boxes, now this happens automatically,” says Irina. The operator, sitting on the conveyor, must once or twice an hour check the parameters of the pads, the operation of metal detectors and make appropriate notes. Employees are prohibited from chewing gum in production, but this does not apply to those sitting in the packing room. Here, the operators' responsibilities include testing the chewing gum to taste. Employees must know the entire line of Dirol and Stimorol - for this they undergo special training and sensory tests. Chewing gum is packaged in water- and airtight foil, in blisters and in packs of two pads, and then in boxes.
How are chewing gum flavors invented?
“Variety of flavors is one of the things people expect from chewing gum. Now we want watermelon, then mint flavor, then something else. The assortment adapts to all occasions: some tastes come, some go away and sometimes then return, says company press secretary Andrei Samodin. - Of course, we monitor sales dynamics and conduct market research. Then the concept development begins: what the taste is for, what need it satisfies, how it will fit into the current assortment. The R&D department then prepares the recipes. If we make tangerine-flavored chewing gum, then the final result will be five flavors with different shades - some a little more sour, some sweet. Experts have an understanding of which tastes the market is more inclined to, but the final say lies with the consumer.”
Usually it takes from a year to a year and a half to develop a new taste. Recently, as part of the “Brazilian Flavors” concept, Dirol introduced two new flavors - mango and passion fruit. And for several years, the leader among Russian consumers has been the taste of watermelon and melon.
“Each country has its own preferences. In Turkey they like chewing gum without flavors and practically without sweeteners - they chew almost the same base. We used to supply licorice chewing gum to France. But this taste didn’t work in Russia, although I really liked it. In some African countries they prefer chewing gum with sugar rather than with sweeteners,” says Irina Tsareva.
Currently, the assortment on the Russian market includes Stimorol and four Dirol formats (classic pads, blister pads, plates and Dirol XXL), which in total give a choice of 26 flavors.
The plant produces almost 20 million chewing gum pads per day, and finished products do not stay in the warehouse for long. Chewing gum is delivered to distribution warehouses in Russia, and is also sent to the CIS countries, the Baltic states, Morocco, Lebanon, Greece, and Turkey.
Business idea: chewing gum production
Where we do business from: mini workshop, small warehouse
Main costs: rent, wages
Required equipment:: extruder, conveyor, large cold room, rolling line, tunnel and packaging machines
Consumables: production defects, packaging
Starting capital: from 300,000 rubles. up to 3,600,000 rub.
Payback period: from 12 to 48 months
Possible profit: from 60,000 rubles. up to 900,000 rub.
Nowadays, the chewing gum market is very large and its capacity, according to the latest data, is at least 28 thousand tons of products. You can also notice a trend that most large manufacturers of chewing gum pay a lot of attention to our country and open new production facilities there, which led to a significant reduction in imports (up to 5%).
The chewing gum market is divided into three parts:
- the market for “regular” chewing gum in pads or strips (chewing gum) (it occupies approximately 89% of the total market)
- the market for chewing gum intended for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes (functional gum). While this part of the market is insignificant, but according to experts, this part is the most promising and has huge potential for development.
-the market for gum that is designed to blow bubbles (bubble gum). It is produced, as a rule, in the form of balls of various shades and sizes and is sold at retail individually.
When chewing gum first began to appear in our country, this particular type was more common, but now it accounts for only a few percent. It can also be noted that the consumption volumes of bubble gum in large cities are lower than in the regions.
The chewing gum market in the CIS is characterized by an increase in production volumes, an increase in sales of therapeutic and prophylactic products, an increase in domestic production, a decrease in import volumes, an increase in export volumes, fierce price competition, and a decrease in trade margins.
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Chewing gum production process.
Now let's look at the chewing gum production process. Let's start with the fact that chewing gum is created from a chewing base - an elastic substance that is unsuitable for food. The chewing base is made from synthetic polymers. This synthetic material in the form of granules is placed in a large mixing tank. After some time, dyes and flavors are added there. At the beginning of the mixing process, glucose-based syrup is added to sweeten the mixture and maintain its elasticity, and dextrose, an artificial sweetener, is added a little later.
The ingredients are mixed for about twenty to thirty minutes. In the mixer, under the influence of high temperature, the mixture gradually heats up and becomes a homogeneous mass. When the consistency of the dough is reached, the mass is removed from the mixer and delivered on a special trolley to the press for extrusion.
The mixture comes out of the press in the form of two narrow strips, which immediately pass through the main press, which compresses each strip to a certain width. The mass is influenced by pressure and becomes sticky and hot. That is why, after the pressing procedure, the tape is sent to the refrigerator for 20 minutes, where it remains until it cools down to 3-7 degrees Celsius.
After cooling, the strips are cut into individual pieces, which are packed into wrappers. These two procedures are carried out using one machine. Its productivity is very high and is approximately 1000 pieces per minute. After this, the chewing gums are sent to a packaging line, where they are packed into cans and boxes.
The equipment of production lines directly depends on the products that are produced. The minimum kit includes the following elements: an extruder, a conveyor, a large refrigerator, a rolling line, a tunnel and packaging machines.
In addition, additional types of shafts, nozzles for the extruder, knives, drums intended for coating and coating, different types of packers, from horizontal to vertical, mixers, mills for powdered sugar, thermal parks, compressors, air dryers and much other auxiliary equipment may be useful. To accommodate all the equipment you will need a room with an area of at least 1500 sq.m.
To create chewing gum, many Russians use raw materials made in our country. The most important components: chewing base, sweeteners, which are glucose or sugar and sweeteners, various flavoring additives, emulsifiers, glycerin, dyes.
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Chewing gum dates back to the ancient Greeks, who chewed the resin of mastic trees, and the Mayan tribes used frozen hevea juice and rubber as chewing gum. Modern chewing gum was patented in the United States in 1869, and who would have thought it, by a dentist. In 1928, another American, Walter Diemer (Dymer), invented inflatable gum using proportions of rubber, sugar, corn syrup and flavoring. Inflatable gum comes in balls of all colors and sizes. But for bubbles there is nothing better than pink mass.
How to make gum: It all starts with the gum base - the substance that allows you to chew gum. Previously, the base was made from tree resin, but today it is synthetic: plastic and rubber. The chewing base is placed in a mixer, coloring and flavorings are added. As mixing begins, glucose syrup is added to sweeten the mixture. It is runny and this helps keep the chewy base soft. Then add dextrose, so-called. “Grape sugar” is a powdered sweetener. The ingredients are mixed for about 20 minutes. Mixing heats the mass, causing it to fuse together.
The mixture is ready when it has reached the consistency of dough. It is delivered on a trolley to the press for pre-extrusion. The press squeezes the mixture through a narrow hole, similar to how toothbrushes squeeze toothpaste out of a tube. This turns the big, bulky lump into manageable strips, which then go through the main press to extrude.
Another press compresses each strip to the actual width of a piece of gum; it comes out in a long continuous stream to be cut into portions. The squeezing process warms up the gum. If you cut it and package it now, it will stick to the wrapper. So next stop is the cooling chamber. The chewing gum goes there for 15 minutes at a temperature of 3-7 ºС.
At the exit, the chewing gum is cooled enough for slicing and packaging. Both operations are performed by one machine, in a fraction of a second. In slow motion, the video shows a continuous stream of gum entering from one end of the machine as it cuts it into portions; the device pushes each piece into a wax paper wrapper, and twists both ends of the wrapper. The machine processes 900 pieces of chewing gum per minute.
The last stop is packaging. The chewing gum falls on a scale, which automatically weighs out the required amount at the bottom of the jar. The jar is sealed with plastic to make it airtight; this will keep the gum fresh. Chewing gum is made pink because it was the only color that Walter Diemer had when he invented it in the early second quarter of the 20th century. Since then, the color has taken root.