Gum crosses the line into sweets

Confectionery manufacturers are crossing sweets with chewing gum to boost declining sales. 

The gum category has fallen 15% to $US3.5 billion since 2009 and one response is Hershey’s Ice Breakers Cool Blast Chews, which dissolve in a burst of mint after about 10 chomps.

“It’s a classic example of innovating at the seams between two categories,” says research chief Will Papa. “You have to be on the lookout for that unmet need.”

Mr Papa has high hopes for Cool Blast Chews. The product required a strong minty flavour, enough texture to ensure about 10 chomps and the chemistry to dissolve on the tongue. 

In tests, Mr Papa observed consumers trying the chews, all the while watching to see if people took the chew out of their mouth and stuck it under a table. No one did. 

Once the recipe had been perfected, Hershey created a production process to make the gum-mint mashup at a factory in Memphis, Tennessee.

Innovation in gum is not new. Health claims were one. 

For years, Trident’s slogan was: “Four out of five dentists surveyed recommend sugarless gums for their patients who chew gum.” 

Wrigley and Cadbury promoted several sugarless brands as cavity-fighters and brandished the American Dental Association’s seal of approval. 

Gum was sold to whiten smiles, strengthen tooth enamel and kill bad breath germs. 

In 2011, Kraft Foods’ snack business (now Mondelez International) introduced Trident Vitality, a gum packed with vitamins. It lasted two years. 

Alert, Wrigley’s caffeine-infused gum, had a two-week run in 2013 before it was pulled from the market after the US Food and Drug Administration announced plans to investigate caffeinated food.

Now Wrigley, a division of Mars, is getting back to fun after a long period of emphasising “functional benefits” such as fresh breath.

In January, it released the first Juicy Fruit television ads in 10 years in the US market. 

One features two dudes in a locker room making rude noises with their armpits.

The ad has been viewed more than seven million times on YouTube but commenters smelled desperation and asked: Why would an iconic brand want to associate itself with passing gas?