What Happens If You Eat Expired Gum
It is generally safe to consume expired gum as long as there are no signs of spoilage. Expired gum may have a less desirable brittle character. You may feel the change in its texture and flavor.Expired gums should be packed safely inside a wrapper to avoid the moisture loss.If you get serious symptoms after eating, consult your doctor.
The question whether you should consume expired gum comes up only if you happen to come across an old pack somewhere. If you eat or chew on expired gum, you might have a bit of a stomach ache and other uncomfortable symptoms. If you have an expired gum with too much sugar, chances are there is lots of bacteria.
Consuming expired or expired gum, on the other hand, is not harmful for your health at all. As such, chewing gum is not required in the vast majority of countries to be expired. Because chewing gum does not expire, many countries do not require manufacturers to label products with expiration dates. Since chewing gums flavors and textures will vary past its expiration date, we could technically argue that chewing gum does have the potential to expire.
As a result, chewing gum retains its quality over a considerably longer period than most other food products–so long, in fact, that under the current law, chewing gum is not allowed to be labelled with an expiration date in most countries. Without use, chewing gum can get brittle and lose some of its pleasurable taste, but the product will still be safe for chewing over a considerable amount of time. Although chewing gum is intended to be chewed, rather than ingested, it is not usually harmful when consumed in small amounts. It is not harmful if ingested, as the body cannot digest gum, and gum does not remain in your stomach and may not cause any problems with your gut either.
See, swallowing gum, especially in huge amounts, could be hazardous because our bodies cannot digest it. Folklore suggests that chewing gum will stay in the stomach for seven years before it is digested. In rare cases, swallowing an enormous mass of chewing gum in tiny pieces over a brief period of time may clog the digestive tract.
Children under the age of five cannot comprehend the dangers of chewing and swallowing bubblegum. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), children as young as two years old are predisposed to chewing and swallowing bubblegum, and this could cause significant problems. It is fine to allow your child to enjoy a little chewing gum every once in a while, but the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests waiting until your child is older and can understand to avoid chewing the gum.
Even if gum does not stick around with you for years, however, swallowing the substance can have other adverse effects. Chewing on a piece of gum can result in some of your facial muscles hypertrophying, or growing in size. Chewing tobacco directly causes irritation to the gums, which over time can cause recession of your gums, as well as even more serious problems, like oral cancer.
People use chewing gum on a daily basis for its flavor, as well as for its other useful applications, such as mouth hygiene, removal of food items stuck between teeth, stress relief, and managing calories. One ingredient used in making nicotine gum is food-grade polymer that contains hydrogen and carbon. Nicotine is used differently from normal gum, so very little of it makes its way into your stomach, where it can trigger heartburn, hiccups, and stomach discomfort.
Storage of nicotine gum is vital for making sure that nicotine gum gives you the full benefits that it is supposed to. Chewing can help you relax and recall things better, can help with weight loss, and finally, chewing can aid with teeth protection and reduce the amount of bad breath.
While chewing gum does not technically have an expiration date, it does get harder, more crumbly, and less delicious over time. Chewing gum manufacturers do not necessarily have to include the expiration date, and that is true for most countries, as chewing gum is not reactive and has low moisture content, making it a stand-out. The International Chewing Gum Association says that gum is a stable product and does not need to be dated as there is no legal requirement for this in the vast majority of countries.
| Ingredients | Amount |
| Corn Syrup | 2 tsp |
| Gelatin | 1/4 tsp |
| Glycerin | 1 tsp |
| Artificial Flavors | 3/2 cup |
| Food Colorings | 1 dye |
According to International Chewing Gum Association, the gum includes Xylitol, a naturally occurring sweetener found in fruits and vegetables, that has been approved for use. Chew bubblegum is typically made of sugarcane juice, corn syrup, gelatin, glycerin, artificial flavors, and food coloring. When you chew on gum that is sugar-sweetened, you are basically soaking your teeth and gums in a bath of sugar for an extended period of time.
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After gum expires, sugar breaks down into smaller molecules, eventually turning to alcohol. When chewed for the period between four to six months from manufacturing date, gum is at peak taste and consistency. In most cases, the amount of time it takes gum to break down will vary depending on the conditions and packaging in which it is stored. Most gum lasts for a very long time when stored correctly — so you might say that if kept out of the sun and kept at an un-heated temperature, a typical chewing gums shelf life is two years or longer.
If you accidentally ingest a piece of chewing gum that is past its shelf life, you may suffer from extreme stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or even death. You do not want to end up like that notorious South African college student who visited an ER after eating expired energy-sugar gum. You do not want to end up like the South African students who visited the ED after chewing expired sugar-energy gum. For instance, you could get an obstruction if you ingest the gum along with another non-digestible object, such as sunflower seeds.
Substitute a sugar-free gum piece or a snack instead, and make plans to do something distracting should you need to. If you are chewing two to three pieces of nicotine gum per day, start by eliminating only one piece. If your gum contains substances such as caffeine, you will want to limit the quantity that you consume to a certain number each day.
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Energy chewing gum, which contains high amounts of sugar and caffeine, has expired, according to a South African news agency. A 2009 report in medical journal The Lancet said that a 13-year-old had been hospitalised in Italy after eating too much caffeine from chewing energy gum. Two hundred elementary schoolchildren in South Africa were hospitalized Tuesday after chewing energy gum past the expiration date. You might look at the packet of gum, recall a few memories, and decide to chew on it for nostalgic purposes.
Is it OK to chew expired gum?
Gum is a stable product, and in most countries, it is not required by law to be labeled with an expiration date, according to the International Chewing Gum Association. Old gum is usually still safe to chew; however, it may eventually become brittle or lose its flavor.
How long does gum last after the expiration date?
Since chewing gum is inert and non-reactive, it never goes bad. But don’t consume it once it’s gone bad. However, if urgently required, think about using it within 3 months of the expiration date. The gum will only be brittle, hard, and less flavorful, which is the only drawback.
Does gum make you gain weight?
Gum chewing decreases snack consumption, particularly the craving for sweets. People who chewed gum at their following meal consumed roughly fewer calories. The idea that chewing gum can decrease facial fat has become widely accepted. You cannot eliminate fat from a single location. Gum chewing can strengthen the muscles in your face, but it won’t help you lose fat.