We all have done it. Chewing it to blow giant bubbles, freshen our breath after a hearty lunch, and stay up while doing the dullest task of the day. Chewing gums has been a habit for many of us. Yet, the harmless-looking Gum’s adverse effects have never been openly acknowledged.
So many of us would be shocked to know that discarded gums are the world’s second most common form of litter. Furthermore, modern chewing gum is made of non-biodegradable polymers, artificial sweeteners, and flavors that pose various health issues.
Bangalore-based brothers Mayank Nagori and Bhuvan Nagori launched Gud Gum, a plastic-free, biodegradable, vegan chewing gum, to address this sticky situation.
Gud Gum has been incubated by NSRCEL – IIMB. To date, the brother-duo has helped save 750 – 800 kgs of single-use plastic from polluting the planet by replacing conventional chewing gums with Gud Gum and has served about 12,000 customers since its inception.
Creating a healthy alternative
The seed of sustainability was planted in Mayank and Bhuvan’s life in their childhood.
Growing up in a family conscious of limiting their single-use plastic consumption, the brothers built a strong connection with nature and the planet. Thus when the information about chewing Gum’s plastic connection was revealed to Mayank, it came with a little shock.
“I was in 10th grade, and my geography teacher told me that chewing gums are made of plastic and they take longer than plastic carry bags to decompose… that is like a thousand years,” shares Mayank with Life Beyond Numbers, who had built a habit of chewing gums but decided to quit after the revelation.
Years later, while pursuing his Master’s in Food Production Management from the University of Nottingham, London, Mayank began ruminating over the problem of gum pollution again.
“I was curious why there aren’t any healthy alternatives to conventional chewing gums and why is it made of plastic,” he says. That is when Mayank came across a US-based company creating healthy chewing gums, and he felt something similar could also be done in India.
After running a pilot test, the brothers realized that people who consumed chewing gums knew little about the environmental and health-related problems caused by chewing gums.
“We thought that this product could be a great initiative not just as a replacement to chewing gum but also as a way of extending the idea that we need to be more conscious of what we are eating,” says Mayank, who finally launched the product in April 2022.
Tiny changes matter. Start with changing your chewing gum with a #sustainable alternative.
Gud Gum – Addressing myriad concerns
Conventional chewing gum is made with a chemical called Poly Vinyl Acetate, which is also used in rubber tyres and glue. Also, various artificial ingredients are added to give the chewing gum its color and flavor. These artificial sweeteners can potentially harm the body in the long run.
In comparison, Mayank shares that Gud Gum is made with tree sap – a fluid transported in xylem cells of a tree that is often called the blood of a tree as well as natural fruit extracts and vegetable colors. The Gum has natural sweeteners such as Xylitol and Stevia, and thus each Gum only has around one calorie.
“Dentists recommend Xylitol to people who are prone to cavities. Our chewing gum is thus not just indulgent but also takes care of one’s teeth and prevents cavities. Many mothers buy our product for their children since it is anti-cavity and doesn’t give them a sugar rush,” Mayank shared.
Additionally, the Gud Gum is packaged in either paper or tin to ensure no plastic is used.
Generating awareness
In the last few years, scores of people have shifted to a fitter lifestyle by switching to healthy food substitutions. No wonder Gud Gum has received a warm reception from patrons. However, a minor obstacle in taking the Gum to a broader audience is its relatively higher price – the organization imports its main ingredient.
“We prioritize the quality of the product over the cost. Our customer base is currently the educated, metropolitan city-dwelling customer. Once we can make our chewing gum more affordable, we look forward to reaching out to more customers eventually,” shares Mayank.
Apart from making Gud Gum more accessible and affordable for the masses, the organization is also trying to generate awareness about the adverse effects of conventional Gum.