Delicious and plant-based: the new EXTRA plant-based chewing gum

For the launch of the new EXTRA® plant-based chewing gum, Mars Wrigley is working with the environmental organization The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to support their conservation work in the Mexican rainforest.

16-Oct-2024

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Conscious indulgence and closeness to nature are reflected in the zeitgeist. 40 percent of people under 30 describe themselves as vegans, vegetarians or flexitarians, and the trend is rising1. EXTRA, Germany's most popular chewing gum brand2, has expanded its portfolio to include a plant-based alternative for chewing gum lovers who prefer plant-based chewing gum.
EXTRA plant-based chewing gum meets the growing demand for quality products with ingredients of plant or natural origin. Plus points such as long-lasting taste, breath freshness and a pleasant texture that chewing gum fans have come to expect from the sugar-free Mars Wrigley chewing gum portfolio. The basic ingredient of the new chewing pleasure is chicle from the sap of the sapotilla tree. The inhabitants of Latin America have been chewing this gummy substance for thousands of years. To get at the sap from the trees, the farmers - who call themselves "chicleros" - carefully carve narrow channels into the bark and collect the liquid that oozes out. The Aztecs and Mayans already extracted chicle in this traditional way.

Responsibility for the future

Sustainability is one of the principles that Mars Wrigley lives by. It is fitting that the company has entered into a partnership with The Nature Conservancy for the launch of the new EXTRA plant-based chewing gum. TNC is committed to preserving the habitats and waters on which all life depends. The joint project focuses on a 6,400-hectare area in the Mexican rainforest where chicle is grown by local communities. It aims to protect the forests, promote biodiversity and work with the chicleros to develop and implement sustainable food production practices. In the year following the start of the cooperation, Mars Wrigley will provide TNC with 250,000 US dollars to support two local communities that make a living from the chicle harvest, among other things.

Taste and freshness with uncompromising ingredients

All the ingredients in the new chewing gum originally come from nature. The pleasant, sugar-free sweetness comes from tooth-friendly xylitol (birch sap) and stevia. The flavors of the three flavors - spearmint, peppermint and strawberry - are also natural. And the external values are also right: The dragées come in a paper-based box that is recyclable and has no plastic outer packaging.
The new EXTRA plant-based chewing gum is available from drugstores with an RRP of €1.99 per box of 16 dragées.

Sources:

1) Nielsen, RMS GUM, Total Germany, MAT -June 2024.
2) Forsa survey on plant-based nutrition, Germany 2023, N= 1,026 people aged 18 and over.

Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.

https://www.yumda.com/en/news/1184651/delicious-and-plant-based-the-new-extra-plant-based-chewing-gum.html