What is chewing gum made of?

Chewing gum contains gum base, sweeteners, flavorings, colorings, preservatives and softeners. The original gum base was chicle, the latex sap of the sapodilla tree, which is native to Central America. Modern gum is made with a synthetic gum base.

The synthetic gum base is made of food-grade polymers, for example, polyethylene and polyvinyl acetate, and these are what give gum its elastic properties. The sweeteners may be either natural or artificial, such as aspartame. Chewing gum with artificial sweeteners is generally known as sugarless gum.

The human body does not digest either natural or synthetic gum base. If gum is swallowed, it is generally excreted whole.