Is Extra Gum Vegan?

If you’re wondering if Extra Gum is vegan, the answer is yes! All varieties of Extra Gum are vegan and free from animal-derived ingredients. Before 2019, the gum contained gelatin, glycerin, and stearic acid but as of August 2019, these have been removed, making all Extra gum flavors vegan-friendly.

The only exceptions to this are Extra Polar Ice stick gum and Juicy Fruit pellet gums, which contain tiny flavor beads encased in a microscopic layer of animal-based gelatin. However, if you’re looking for a cruelty-free option, then any other variety of Extra Gum is perfect for you.

Ingredients In Extra Gum

All flavors of Extra gum contain the following core ingredients:

1. Gum Base

When it comes to Extra Gum, the gum base is essential. It’s an integral part of what gives chewing gum its signature texture and flexibility, or “chew”, that we all know and love. As defined by the International Chewing Gum Association, a gum base is made up of wax, softeners, and food-grade polymers.

In the past, these polymers were derived from natural sources such as plants and trees. However, nowadays most chewing gums contain synthetic polymers because they provide a better texture and retain the flavor for longer periods of time.

Is Gum Base Vegan?

When it comes to determining if gum base is vegan-friendly, it can be tricky. That is because there are 46 FDA-approved controversial ingredients that can go into manufacturing the gum base. While most of these ingredients are always vegan, some may not be.

Animal-derived resins, glycerol esters, and a waxy substance known as lanolin derived from sheep’s skin are examples of non-vegan compounds which could potentially be found in gum bases.

Is Extra Gum Base Vegan?

Veganism is becoming increasingly popular and many are wondering if Extra Gum Base is vegan. While the US-specific information is not accessible, the Huffington Post states that Wrigley’s gum base is synthetic and the Extra Oral Healthcare Program in Australia verifies that all its ingredients are artificials.

This means that it can safely be presumed that Wrigley’s uses the same synthetic ingredients to make its gum base in the US as well and therefore, it can be assumed that Extra Gum Base is vegan.

2. Flavors

Extra Gum offers a variety of flavors for gum chewers to enjoy. It uses both natural and artificial flavors in its chewing gums to create delicious tastes. Whether you prefer a classic flavor or an adventurous twist, there is an Extra flavor that will satisfy your taste buds.

Are Food Flavors Vegan?

It’s a hot-button topic in the vegan community. Even though there is some debate over the use of natural and artificial flavors, many vegans are okay with consuming them as it’s almost impossible to avoid these ingredients in packaged foods.

3. Colors

Chewing gum brand Wrigley’s Extra utilizes both natural and artificial hues in its product, similar to how the food industry divides flavors into those two categories.

Are Food Colors Vegan?

Since most natural food colors are extracted from plants, they typically comply with vegan dietary standards. However, one exception is carmine – the red coloring often listed on labels as E120 – which is derived from a cochineal insect.

Artificial food colors, which are made using various chemicals and are free of animal ingredients, can also be considered vegan. However, these dyes often undergo animal testing before entering the market and it is this practice that many vegans avoid by refusing to purchase products containing artificial coloring.

4. Sorbitol

Sorbitol is an important ingredient in Extra Gum. It’s a carbohydrate from a class of sugar alcohols called polyols and it naturally occurs in various fruits. It’s most commonly manufactured from corn syrup for commercial use.

Sorbitol is frequently used as a sugar substitute, thanks to its sweet taste yet fewer health impacts than cane sugar products. Its moistening and texturing properties also come into play when added to food products that need those qualities, such as Extra Gum.

On top of all that, sorbitol helps give the gum its chewy texture! All these advantages make sorbitol an ideal ingredient in Extra Gum, providing great texture and flavor with minimal risks associated with it compared to other sugars and artificial sweeteners.

Is Sorbitol Vegan?

The main question that many people have about sorbitol is whether it is vegan-friendly or not. The answer is yes – since sorbitol comes from natural plant sources, and no animal products are used in its manufacturing process, it is classified as a vegan-friendly ingredient.

That means it is safe for vegans to consume the Extra Gum that contains this sugar substitute.

5. Glycerol

Glycerol is one of the common ingredients in Extra Gum. It is a sweet-tasting alcohol compound, also known as trihydric alcohol or glycerin. Glycerol provides sweetness and helps to retain moisture in the gum, giving it its soft and chewy texture.

It also helps to keep the flavor stable over time – that’s why you’ll notice that your chewing gum tastes the same after days of use.

Is Glycerol Vegan?

The question of whether glycerol is considered a vegan diet is a controversial one that has sparked a lot of debate. To understand this, we have to look at the source of the glycerol used in Wrigley’s Extra gum.

Since the brand doesn’t specify its source, it can’t be determined if the glycerol is derived from an animal source or a plant source.

Is Any Extra Gum Flavor Vegan?

Wondering if any Extra gum flavor is vegan or not? Let’s look at the extra gum ingredient list of all Extra gum flavors to find out. Please note that these are only the options available in the US, and the range of flavors varies in different countries.

Nevertheless, despite the range of flavors, vegan-friendly ingredients tend to be recurring across most Extra gum varieties. These include natural flavors such as sunflower oil, rice syrup solids, calcium carbonate, and vegetable glycerin, which are all vegetarian/vegan-friendly base ingredients.

As long as there are no animal-derived sweeteners such as honey or lactose being added to a flavor, it can be considered vegan.

Is Chewing Gum Vegan-Friendly?

Chewing gum is not usually thought of as a vegan-friendly product, but Extra chewing gum flavored chewing gum is actually made from vegan ingredients. This popular gum is made up of glycerol, natural flavors, corn syrup, artificial colors like red 40 lakes, fractionated coconut oil, gum base, and sugar.

Chewing Gum Brands That Are Vegan

When choosing chewing gum, one of the key factors to consider is if it is vegan or not. Thankfully, there are several popular chewing gum brands with vegan-friendly products.

For example, all Hubba Bubba and Wrigley products are vegan as their parent company is Mars. Additionally, Orbit and Dubble Bubble, as well as Extra, Pur, and Eclipse, are all under the Mars umbrella and most flavors have vegan-friendly options.

Chewing Gum Brands That Are Not Vegan

When it comes to chewing gum, not all brands are vegan. In particular, there are some brands that contain non-vegan ingredients like gelatin or crystals. Specific flavors of extra Polar Ice and Mentos 3 Layer, Strawberry Squeeze, Orbit, Juice Burst, and Trident may not be vegan because of these components.

It is always best to check with the manufacturer before consuming any gum if you want to make sure it is vegan-friendly. Otherwise, there are plenty of amazingly tasty vegan gums available on the market so you can feel confident when choosing chewing gum and know that you’re making an ethical decision.