Sticky situation: Harmful food chemicals in chewing gum

Chewing gum has long been popular among people of all ages. It’s a convenient way to freshen your breath, curb cravings and relieve stress. But before you reach for that stick of gum, you may want to take a look at the ingredients. It might contain food chemicals that could harm your health.

Food chemicals in gum and mints

Synthetic food dyes

When you imagine a stick of gum, a few different colors may come to mind – white peppermint, pink bubble gum, blue wintergreen and green spearmint. What you might not think of is how these chewy confections get their iconic colors.  Synthetic food dyes are added to many types of gum – including Trident layers wild strawberry and tangy citrus, Wrigley's winterfresh gum sticks and Ice Breakers ice cubes spearmint sugar-free gum – to give them their colorful appearance. But many of these dyes come with unwanted health problems.  Dyes such as Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6 and Blue No. 1 have been linked to an array of health harms. They can make children vulnerable to behavioral difficulties, including decreased attention, according to a 2021 study by the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.  The California health agency also found that current federal safe intake levels of these dyes might not protect children’s brain health. Current legal levels were set by the Food and Drug Administration decades ago and do not take recent research into account.  Human studies have also linked synthetics dyes to learning difficulties and restlessness in sensitive children. In the EU, products containing Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, and Yellow No. 6 must contain the warning “May have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.”

Titanium dioxide

Many types of gum can also contain titanium dioxide, another chemical that could be harmful to your health.  It can be found in products like fruit-flavored Dubble Bubble gum balls, Dentyne Ice peppermint and Stride sugar-free spearmint gum, among many others. Titanium dioxide is used to add brightness and shine to other colors and to create a smooth finish. But it can be toxic.  The EU banned it for use in food after European food safety scientists determined it can no longer be considered safe for human consumption. A 2021 study by the European Food Safety Authority concluded nanoparticles of titanium dioxide can build up in the body and may cause damage to the chromosomes.  Despite these concerns, titanium dioxide remains legal for use in food in the U.S. EWG, along with the Environmental Defense Fund, Center for Science in the Public Interest, Center for Food Safety and Center for Environmental Health, recently petitioned the FDA to revoke its approval to use titanium dioxide in food.

Pending legislation

We’re still waiting for federal action banning these harmful food chemicals. But states have begun to step up to fill the regulatory gap. Earlier this year, a bill was introduced in the California legislature to ban the manufacture, sale and distribution in the state of foods containing titanium dioxide, as well as brominated vegetable oil, propyl paraben, potassium bromate and Red No. 3.  A.B. 418, authored by Assemblymember Jesse Gabriel (D-San Fernando Valley), recently passed in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee. If the bill is signed into law, the Golden State would be the first in the nation to ban these five toxic chemicals from candy, gum and other popular food items marketed to children. Red No. 3 is one of the worst of the synthetic dyes allowed in the food we eat. Like Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6 and Blue No. 1, Red No. 3 has been linked to behavioral difficulties in children. In 1990, the FDA banned its use in cosmetics and externally applied drugs after concluding the dye caused cancer in lab animals.  A ban on Red No. 3 would be a first step in protecting consumers from the harms associated with some synthetic food dyes and could pave the way for better regulation of other dyes, including those in chewing gum.  A similar bill that would ban the same five food chemicals was recently introduced in the New York State Senate and is working its way through committee.

What you can do

If you’re shopping for gum and want to avoid harmful synthetic food dyes and titanium dioxide, here are some tips:

• Check labels. Artificial dyes and titanium dioxide must be listed among the ingredients of packaged foods, so look at labels to avoid products that contain them. On some food labels, titanium dioxide may simply be referred to as “artificial color” or “color added.”
• Consult EWG’s Food Scores database to find products that don’t contain harmful food dyes and colorants. When you’re on the go, you can use our Healthy Living app to find products without toxic chemicals.
• Whenever possible, choose packaged foods that are certified organic – they must meet strong standards that protect consumers from exposure to potentially harmful food additives.