U.S. Consumers Want Vitamins in Gum

Chewing gum isn’t as popular as it used to be, with sales declining 23 percent in the U.S. from 2010 to 2018, but there is something the gum companies can do to make their product appealing to consumers, like adding vitamins, caffeine and energy boosters.

As cited in a December 3 Wall Street Journal report, a December 2018 study by Lightspeed and Mintel showed that 35 percent wanted vitamins mixed in their chewing gum. People were also interested in a gum that helped with gut health, weight management and heart health. 30 percent said they would be interested in a gum that offered an immunity boost.

Dirk Van de Put, the chief executive of Mondelez International Inc., who owns Trident and Dentyne, told the Journal: “Gum is an interesting carrier of benefits.” He added, “The consumer these days is becoming much more interested in the functional benefits of food.”