Natural Chewing Gum: Glee Gum

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Glee Gum is so far the best natural chewing gum in the market, as you can imagine, I was very happy to do this review!

They're the last gum in the US to be made with its original ingredient: chicle. Chicle is a natural ingredient that comes out of a tree called the Sapodilla tree, the one from Glee Gum is harvested in Mexico by the so called "chicleros". It's taken out of the tree just like maple syrup, a process that does not kill trees, in fact it's aimed at preserving them, which ends up helping the entire eco system that the tree participates on. You can see the entire process from tree to Glee at their website.

Did you know that other "fake" chewing gums can have several chemicals? Most of them have artificial colors, sorbitol (sugar alcohol that the body metabolizes slowly), aspartame (artificial sweetener), acesulfame potassium (another artificial ingredient), BHT which stands for butilated hydroxytoluene an ingredient that in the 70's there was some controversy by some scientists that said that this ingredient caused hyperactivity in children. Some companies decided to voluntarily drop this ingredient while others still have it.

Glee Gum has a bunch of natural flavors: triple berry, cinnamon, mint, bubblegum, peppermint and spearmint. My favorites were cinnamon, mint and the assorted box. This super natural gum can't get any better! They also have something really cool: a "make your own gum kit". I'd love to have tested that one out and make my own!

Highlights:
- Vegetarian
- Wheat free
- Gluten free
- Additive free
- Lactose free
- 100% natural
- No preservatives
- No artificial colors
- No artificial sweeteners
- Helps protect our environment
- Recycled cardboard packaging

Here's some information on why this process is sustainable and helps several families, from their website:
We at Verve, inc. believe that consumers can make a big difference in determining the fate of the earth. We hope that everyone takes an active interest in learning where their products come from and how they get to other parts of the world. We cannot exploit the earth's natural resources indefinitely without facing disastrous consequences. An alternative is sustainable development — economic practices which create a balance between ecology and economics, providing jobs and expanding regional development in a way that sustains the environment. This is a vision that can be supported by conscientious consumers and by the thoughtful sourcing of products. Sustainable economic systems are committed to ensuring that the products being harvested will continue to exist in the future.

For example, sustainable logging projects call for specific trees to be cut down according to a long-term plan, while engaging simultaneously in reforestation projects. Sustainable economics in forestry also focus on generating markets for non-timber forest products, such as medicinal plants, oils, nuts, waxes, and resins, like chicle. Chicle, the sap which is the main ingredient in the gum base of Glee Gum, comes from the Sapodilla (ironwood) tree. Sapodilla trees grow in the forests of southeastern Mexico. Chicle is important in the forestry economy there, second only to lumber. The Mexican states of Campeche and Quintana Roo produce an average of 300 tons of chicle a year, enough to help support over 2,700 farming families (campesinos). The skilled farm laborers who harvest the chicle are called chicleros. Because there is a market for chicle, and because the sustainable harvest of it provides an economically viable way to make a living, chicleros have good reason to invest in the maintenance of the forest.

Glee Gum's history:
In 1992, the concept for Verve was born when we visited an economically depressed chicle-producing community in Northern Guatemala. Up until then, we had never really thought about how chewing gum was made. When we realized its origins, we learned that prior to the synthetic resins, chicle was the basis of the entire industry. Our goal was to support chicle-harvesting by purchasing chicle. With this goal in mind, Verve was born, and with it our first and most popular product, the Make Your Own Chewing Gum Kit.

Today, Verve provides a sustainable source of income for those communities while simultaneously offering fun, educational, and environmentally friendly activities for kids.

Glee gum donates 1% of their revenue to environmentally friendly causes. They also give away six scholarships to the children of the chicleros if they study environmental studies or sustainable forestry. Another cool fact is that Verve is a family owned business. They currently sell Glee Gum on several grocery stores such as Trader Joes, Cost Plus, Wild Oats, Whole Foods and others, this goes to show you that a small family business can go far if making an awesome product.