How Is Bubble Gum Made?
Bubble gum is made like all other chewing gum, but a little rubbery plastic is added to make it strong and stretchy enough to hold air. To make bubble gum, a chewy gum base, containing stretchy plastic and natural latexes, is mixed with sweeteners and flavorings.
Finally, softeners generally made from vegetable oils are added. They blend the bubble gum ingredients well and also give a smooth texture to the gum.
Some preservatives are also added to retain the freshness of the gum. The bubble gum ingredients are stirred together in giant mixers and shaped into sticks, balls, and squares for you to chew.
Bubble gum was first named “Blibber-Blubber” by its maker, Frank Fleer. People have been blowing bubbles with bubble gum since its invention in 1928.
Process of Making Bubble Gum
The gum base ingredients are mixed together in a large machine with rotating blades. The ingredients when blended well are heated till they melt. Sugar, softeners, color, and flavoring agents are added slowly to it and mixed thoroughly.
The gum begins to thicken and appears like bread dough. Then, the gum has to be flattened. It is passed through huge rollers to get thin sheets of it. The flattened gum can be cut into small pieces or shaped into any desired form.
The small gum pieces are sprinkled with powdered sugar and kept for cooling for about 48 hours, so that it sets well. Once it sets properly, it remains fresh for a long time. It is then wrapped with waxed paper, and covered with plastic wrappers.
The large-scale manufacturing of bubble gum is done in clean, hygienic, and air conditioned rooms, where the temperature and humidity can be controlled.
Quality control plays an important role in this process. All the ingredients as well as the finished products are checked for purity and quality. Any material which does not fit into the prescribed standards is rejected immediately.