T
he
A
u t o m a t ic
American Gum
Industry
(Continued from Page 10)
rial is maintained at a temperature
between 200 and 300 degrees F. for
a considerable time until the rubber
content loses its toughness and resili
ency and the whole mass becomes
plastic, tenacious and extremely duc
tile, with little or no resiliency, and
suited to the manufacture of chew
ing gum.
Treating Pontianak Resin and Gutta
Pontianak resin and low-grade gut-
tas contain either an objectionable
taste, or odors and poisonous sub
stances which must be removed be
fore the material can be used in mak
ing artificial
chicle.
It has been
found that these faults may be re
moved by using sugar in solution.
The crude material are dried and
powdered in a mill in the case of the
resin or in a hollander in the case of
the gutta and the finely divided ma
terials are then boiled in a five per
cent sugar solution. The cleaned
products are washed and dried by
-suitable means. Thus treated, they
are sufficiently pure to be used, be
ing free from taste, odor, etc.
Chicle substitutes are deficient in
plasticity, and tougher and more elas
tic than true chicle; therefore they
do not chew as easily and smoothly.
These features, however, are obviated
in compounding the chewing gum
mixture. Practically no chewing gum
is now made in which chicle is not
largely or even wholly displaced by
some combination substitute. Certain
large gum manufacturers prepare
their own substitute, others depenu
on purchase from concerns regulariy
engaged in cleaning and blending ma
terials for the purpose.
Caramel Paste
In order to obviate the naturally
stiff and springy quality inherent in
chicle substitutes a material known
in the trade as “ paste” is used. In
Physical appearance and consistency
© International Arcade Museum
A
ge
75
this much resembles ordinary yellow
caramel candy. Oleo stock is one of
its principal ingredients, the effect of
which is to soften the chicle substi
tute and render it more plastic and
less elastic, consequently more agree
able to chew. Other functions of
paste are to act as a binder for the
powdered sugar in the gum mixing
and as a preservative against aging
or hardening of the finished product
by drying.
Glucose
Glucose is familiar as corn syrup,
a thick, transparent, heavy liquid of
sweet taste, although less sweet than
sucrose or ordinary cane sugar. Glu
cose syrup contains from 40 to 50
per cent of dextrose, from 30 to 40
per cent of dextrin, and water.
In chewing gum mixing glucose
syrup serves as a binder and solvent
for the dry sugar, thus permitting
the easy incorporation of the large
proportion of the latter in the mix
ing.
Sugar
Pure, refined, white X X X X pow
dered sugar is the chief compounding
ingredient in chewing gum. It also
is freely used for dusting the gum as
it is handled in the machines, on con
veyors and on trays for cooling.
The same grade of sugar is also
used to make the thick syrup for
coating gum balls “ chiclets” or “ nug
gets” by the process employed for
sugar coating in various forms of
confectionery.
Colors
While sugar-coated forms of chew
ing gum are generally left white it is
a common practice to color the sur
face of ball gum. The colors used
are: licorice for black; chocolate for
brown; turmeric for yellow and cer
tified harmless colors allowable in
food products for red, green, etc.
Flavoring
The various flavorings employed
are a very expensive feature of chew
ing gum manufacture. Some are
synthetic and others natural, as for
example, the oil of mint. Special
http://www.arcade-museum.com/