Corn Free Chewing Gum – It Exists!

It was my understanding that there were no “corn free” chewing gum options around, at least in the US. Well, color us lucky, because today, I have some good news!
First, to anyone new to the Corn Allergy world, let me explain where the problem usually is with chewing gum.

For my ingredient example, I am using my all time favorite (and much missed by me): Orbit Sweet Mint Gum.

*Sorbitol, Gum Base, Glycerol, *Mannitol, *Natural and Artificial Flavors, Less Than 2% of: *Xylitol, Aspartame, Acesulfame K, *Sucralose, Soy Lecithin, Bht (to Maintain Freshness), Colors (Blue 1 Lake, Beta Carotene). Phenylketonurics: Contains Phenylalanine

To make it easy, I gave an asterisk (*) to the ingredients where corn is likely to be found. If you need a refresher as to where these ingredients come from, and how they relate to corn, please see the Ingredients Derived From Corn – What to Avoid post. Bottom line, the corn derived ingredients tend to be in the artificial sweeteners. It may be in the Gum Base as well, but that would require contacting the manufacture to find out definitively.

Now, let me share with you my discovery of B-Fresh Gum. I was researching something else corn-related, and came across someone's post about this gum in a forum. It was not a food allergy forum, and sadly, I cannot recall which forum as I really got too excited about the potential of this news!

The first thing while exploring this information, was look at the ingredients of the B-Fresh Gum (Spearmint).

Ingredients: Xylitol, Gum Base, Natural Spearmint Flavor, Vitamin B12, Gum Arabic, Carnuba Wax, Calcium Citrate, Calcium Gluconate

The ingredient list definitely has some questionable items that could be derived from corn. However, there is mention of this on their FAQ page.

Question: Does the product contain any corn?
Answer: There are no ingredients used that are derived from corn.

After reading the corn free claim, I called B-Fresh Gum anyway, just to discuss this with them further. I felt silly, I mean after all, the answer in their FAQ is pretty clear - “no ingredients derived from corn.” For good measure, I inquired as to the source of their Xylitol. The Xylitol they use is from “Birch and other hardwood (tree) sources”.

In summary, if you are looking for corn free chewing gum, you may find it at B-Fresh Gum. Keep in mind, the FDA does not regulate the term corn free, and there may be corn sourced ingredients used in manufacturing, processing or delivery of this product, even unaware to the company making the claim.

B-Fresh Gum states they are Kosher, Vegan, Gluten Free, Soy Free, and Diabetic Safe. Please contact them directly if you have any questions about any of those claims.