There has been a lot of consolidation within the European chewing gum sector in the last five to six years, with Cadbury snapping up a raft of smaller producers to strengthen its position in the market. The result has been to push innovation to the next level.
"Wrigley's dominance in the EU has been eroded over the last few years due to Cadbury's buy-out of small manufacturers such as France's Hollywood and the Danish Dandy brands," says Danisco patent & applications centre manager, Ian Friars. "Sugar sweetened pellets have eclipsed sticks as the dominant format and now manufacturers are looking at other ways to differentiate so new formats like Trident Splash slabs have surfaced. US manufacturer Hershey has developed the ice cube format and in the EU Mentos has produced cube chewing gum."
Fruit flavours and liquid centres are also taking centre stage and are increasing their share of the market, according to Joan Mestres, area manager at chewing gum base supplier Cafosa. "In terms of flavour release, all major brands are continuously launching improved products," he says. "There are some interesting new combinations around, which would have been unthinkable a few years ago. Now producers are more open to testing not only new flavours but also to combining them in very 'shocking' ways; products consisting of a classic coated pillow filled with liquid offer great opportunities to do so: the gum has one flavour and the liquid in the centre has another; even the layer of coating can contain a different flavour profile. If we add the fact that different forms of flavours can be combined (encapsulated, liquid, etc.) then the options are endless."
For Europeans, chewing gum remains synonymous with oral hygiene and manufacturers have responded with a host of gums that offer functional benefits beyond breath freshness - from plaque, tartar and caries prevention, to chewing gum that stimulates saliva, balances pH levels, or even whitens teeth.
"What's dynamic about chewing gum is the way its consumer perceptions are changing, which in turn provides new marketing opportunities," explains Cargill's head of marketing, Henry Hussell. "Gum is no longer perceived solely as a means of ensuring fresh breath. It is now considered widely as a way to help take care of teeth. A key part of this is the growing popularity of sugar-free gum, which is enjoying rapid growth in many territories at the expense of sugared gum."
Functionality has also entered completely new territory. Wrigley has undertaken research into several ingredients, including magnolia bark, which has been found to significantly reduce odour-inducing bacteria in the mouth. Other products on the market claim to have decongestant effects, like Wrigley Airwaves, and a variety of niche gums claim to have cholesterol lowering effects or energy boosting effects through fortification with caffeine, taurine, guarana or ginseng.
Controlled advantage
"Chewing gum offers the advantage of controlled release of the active ingredient (which is not the case with other confectionery items)," explains Cafosa's Mestres. "Depending on the characteristics of the active ingredient and the gum base used in the final product, one can control the speed at which the ingredient will be available. The second advantage is that gum stays in the mouth, so the active ingredient can enter the bloodstream directly by sublingual absorption instead of going through the digestive system. This offers a much quicker action and prevents a potential degradation that can happen in the stomach or intestine."
Europe was, by far, the most active region in terms of new product development last year, according to Mintel's 2008 Gum report, and especially the Netherlands, Turkey and France, where a variety of oral care gums were launched. These include Ulker's black tablet gum in Turkey that contains natural coffee and mint flavours and is free of aspartame and sugar, and Mentos' white mint sugar-free gum in the Netherlands, that helps keep teeth white.
Asia-Pacific is another dynamic region - particularly Japan, which has trail blazed with a range of functional lines and products aimed at specific demographics. For example, Lotte recently launched a Men's Style gum for 30-to-50-year-olds. It contains a range of natural ingredients, like clove, citrus and guarana powder, and comes in different coloured packs to suit men's moods of the day. Otoko Kaoru (or man flavour) gum was developed by Kracie and is described as a 'fragrance gum' that makes men smell like roses.
"When discussing functional products the trendsetter is, without doubt, the Japanese (and also the Korean) market," confirms Mestres. "This also applies to sophisticated chewing gums that can be found on the shelves in these countries. There the rotation is much higher than in Europe or North America and many of the products complete their life cycle within months. The chewing gum market is forecast to have the highest growth within the confectionery sector (according to Global business Insights, functional chewing gum is expected to grow by 5.3% in Europe, whilst other sugar confectionery expects a 1.9% growth). This is mainly due to the fact that it is a convenient delivery system for functional products."
The development of the powder-based tabletted format, like Cafosa's All in Gum compressible powder gum, opened the floodgates for more ambitious functional ingredients. "The advantage is that the process does not require such high temperatures as with regular chewing gums, so any active ingredient sensitive to heat does not suffer any damage and its properties are preserved. The technology is also much simpler and cleaner than the standard chewing gum machinery. The producer only needs a solid blender and a tabletting machine," says Mestres.
We have the technology
All in Gum has been available to manufacturers for several years, although its impact in Europe has been negligible. Kanebo utilised the technology in 2006 to produce three different functional gums - for mouth, throat and nose care - targeting the Japanese market. However Cargill is currently developing technology for compressed gum and deems it a "technique that holds out great promise for future product development"
"Direct-compressed chewing gum is one of the most exciting new technologies in the sector," says Cargill's Hussell. "Here, a special dry powdered gum base is blended with, typically, a polyol bulk sweetener, and formed into a pellet in a die under high pressure. This technique - direct compression - is also used to manufacture pharmaceutical tablets, where it is favoured for its simplicity and cost-effectiveness in applicable formulations. Indeed, due to the fact it is a low-temperature process, compression is well suited to the creation of pharmaceutical gum as well as confectionery."
Certain functional ingredients have been in circulation in the Far East for a quite few years, such as Co-enzyme Q10 for skin health or Caseinphosphopeptide to improve calcium absorption (CPP) in Korea, but tight restrictions on functional claims have prevented their expansion into Europe and major brands like Wrigley and Cadbury have therefore concentrated on adding functionality through new sugar-free varieties.
In sugar-free gums the most common bulk sweeteners are sorbitol, isomalt, xylitol, mannitol or maltitol. Each one has different properties and is chosen according to its hygroscopicity, solubility, taste and price. All of them are non-cariogenic and have a low glycaemic index (GI).
Sorbitol is the most predominant bulk sweetener used by manufacturers, although it is usually combined with mannitol for its anticrystallising properties, but xylitol's superior taste has fostered a lot of support among manufacturers of oral care gum. Xylitol is a natural sugar alcohol found in a host of fruit and vegetables; it is the sweetest of all the polyols but has no after-taste and is safe for diabetics.
Demand for functional fun
"The demand for healthier confectionery has increased demand for xylitol, as it has the same sweetness level as sugar and creates an interesting cooling effect," confirms Mestres. "This polyol has proven clinical benefits - in terms of fighting plaque and cavities - and has been widely used in chewing gums around the world. This has, however, resulted in a shortage in certain markets and repositioning of certain producers, especially involving production in China."
Erythritol is widely used in Japan but has only recently infiltrated the EU market, after gaining regulatory approval in February. Eyrthritol naturally occurs at low levels in many fruit and high levels in fermented foods, such as soy sauce, cheese and wine. It contains fewer calories than any other polyol but also has a low glycaemic index and low laxative effect.
Cargill has been producing Erythritol under the brand name Zerose since the 1980s. The sweetener received official approval in the US in 1997 and is commonly used in Asia, where its approval status permits the application of a zero-calorie claim. Cargill is now studying how Zerose interacts with cariogenic microorganisms in the oral cavity to gain a better understanding of its characteristics relative to other polyols.
The jury is still out with regard to its overall effect on the EU chewing gum sector, but Cargill's Hussell believes it has major implications. "This is a fascinating emerging market for confectionery manufacturers and it is currently generating quite a buzz among food manufacturers due to the fact it actually contributes almost zero calories to final formulations and also displays superior digestive tolerance," he says.
Euromonitor predicts significant growth in erythritol usage in Europe. It found that consumption in Western Europe increased from 5,308t in 2006 to 5,391t last year and Euromonitor expects a further rise to 5,467t this year.
So what does the future hold for the gum market? Adding functionality will continue to be the way forward. Formulas will increasingly focus on general well-being as well as containing more natural ingredients. Meanwhile, sales of sugar-free gum will continue to sour at the expense of the sugared variety.