Extra Gum - Spearmint
Processing
4
Ultra-processed
Group 4 of 4 on the NOVA scale
Additives listed
6
0 we grade moderate or higher
4 of them not yet assessed here
Nutrients
–
Nothing above the low band
Or no figures recorded at all
Three separate readings, kept apart on purpose. This is not a score, and none of it says this product is harmful.
Additives (6)
This label lists 4 sweeteners, 1 glazing agent and 1 additive.
E420
Sorbitol
Sweetener and humectant
What it is. A sugar alcohol, about half as sweet as sugar, which also holds moisture.
Why it is used. Used in sugar free sweets and gum, and to keep baked goods soft.
What the evidence says. Not a toxicity question at all. Sugar alcohols are poorly absorbed, so a large amount draws water into the gut and has a laxative effect. That is well established, predictable and dose dependent, which is why the label has to say so.
Permitted. Foods with more than 10 per cent polyols must carry the statement that excessive consumption may produce laxative effects.
Assessed against EFSA, UK FSA. Full entry for E420
E951
Aspartame
Artificial sweetener
What it is. An intense sweetener around 200 times sweeter than sugar, used in tiny amounts.
Why it is used. Sweetens diet drinks, sugar free gum and low calorie desserts.
What the evidence says. In 2023 IARC listed it as possibly carcinogenic, its weakest evidence tier. At the same time the expert intake committee JECFA kept the safe daily limit unchanged, noting you would need a very high daily intake to approach it, roughly a dozen or more cans of diet drink a day for an adult. So headline scary, practically low concern for normal use.
Permitted with an acceptable daily intake. People with the condition PKU must avoid it, which is why packs carry a phenylalanine note.
Assessed against IARC, JECFA, EFSA. Full entry for E951
Also on the label, not assessed here yet
- E421 Mannitol sweetener
- E422 Glycerol other
- E903 Carnauba wax glazing agent
- E953 Isomalt sweetener
Names and jobs come from the register of additives permitted in Great Britain, which we have not finished transcribing: a code shown without a name is a gap in our coverage, not a finding that it is unapproved. Naming one is not grading it either. Full detail appears only where we have an assessment against a named authority, so all of this describes our coverage rather than these additives. Most are common and low concern.
Ingredients
UK THE WRIGLEY COMPANY LTD, PLYMOUTH PL6 7PR ROI WRIGLEY LT PO BOX 11578, DUBLIN 1Z SUGARFREE CHEWING GUM WITH SWEETENERS AND MINT RAS INGREDIENTS SWEETENERS SORBITOL, ISOMALT, ASPARTAME, MANNITOL, SALT OF ASPAR CESULFAME, ACESULFAME GUM BASE CONTAINS SOYBEAN LECITHIM FLAVOURINGS GLAZNG AGENT CALCUM CARBONATE HUMECTANT GLYCERINE (NON-ANIMAL THICKENER GUM ARABIC COLOUR ET1, GLAZNG AGENT CARNAUBA WAX, ANTIOIDANT BHA CONTAINS A SOURCE OF PHENYLALANINE EXCESSIVE CONSUMPTION MAY PRODUCE LAXATIVE EFFECTS CHEW FOR AT LEAST 2INUTES AFTER EATING AND DRINKNG A VARIED AND BALANCED DIET AND A HEADTHY LIFESTYLE AREMIPORTANT
As printed on the pack, in the producer's own order: ingredients are listed by weight, so what comes first is most of what is in it. E numbers link to their assessment where we have one.