Determining the vegan status of Wrigley’s extra gum requires an evaluation of the ingredients it is made of. Since the gum comes in several flavors, the exact list of ingredients varies slightly. Artificial food colors are essentially vegan. They are made using various chemicals and are free of animal ingredients. However, they are not cruelty-free. There is strong evidence that artificial colors are tested on animals. However, as I said earlier, it all comes down to what veganism means to you. Is Any Extra Gum Flavor Truly Vegan? On the flip side, many don’t because not only it’s hard to avoid them (just like flavorings), but also the avoidance of artificial colors by some people won’t make any difference in the animal testing practices.

Please note that these are the Extra gum flavor options available in the US. The range of flavors varies in different countries. However, the core ingredients are likely to be the same, so those living outside the US can also use this article as a handy guide to evaluating the vegan status of an Extra gum flavor. Is Extra Spearmint gum vegan? While most online sources classify gum base as vegan-friendly, the truth of the matter is that it’s hard to determine the vegan-friendliness of this core gum compound. I have discussed this issue in some detail in my article on Sour Patch Kids . Give it a read to discover why these widely used ingredients have a controversial status in the vegan world.Natural flavors are derived from plants or animals, while artificial flavors are made synthetically. These flavors can be vegan or non-vegan depending on their source. In the case of Extra Gum, the flavors are vegan friendly. Hydrogenated starch hydrolysate BHT is a type of preservative that is often used in food. It is made from butane and hydroxytoluene. BHT is vegan friendly. Colors (turmeric, Blue 1 lake)

The FDA provides a list of the food colors approved for use in human food along with their sources and code that can come in handy for this purpose. Some of the Extra chewing gum varieties contain both natural and artificial colors, while others only have one of them. From a strict vegan perspective, you should only consume Extra gum varieties (or any food item per se) that only contain plant-derived natural colors.Gum base is the main ingredient in chewing gum. It gives gum its chewiness and texture. Gum base is usually made from latex, resins, and waxes. These ingredients can be from plant or animal sources. In the case of Extra Gum, the gum base is from synthetic sources, making it vegan friendly. Glycerol But, if you have been vegan for any length of time, you would know that it doesn’t work that way. You cannot determine the vegan status of any product just based on the presence or absence of animal ingredients or by-products. Extra Gum is not vegan because it contains glycerol, which is usually sourced from animals, as it is cheaper and more common. Unless a manufacturer makes an explicit statement that its glycerol is vegetable glycerol, you should assume that it is sourced from animals. Is Extra Sweet Watermelon Gum Vegan? As defined by the International Chewing Gum Association, the gum base is made of wax, food-grade polymers, and softeners. Some hardcore vegans may want to avoid Extra chewing gums because of the presence of controversial ingredients, while others may not have an issue with their consumption because they are really hard to avoid.

Glycerol is a clear, colorless liquid that is often used as a food additive. It is made from fats and oils from animal and plant sources. However, animal sources are more commonly used. Unless stated otherwise, glycerol is non-vegan. Natural and artificial flavorsTraditionally, polymers derived from natural sources, such as plants and trees, made chewing gums. However, today, synthetic polymers are generally used as they provide better texture and retain the flavors for longer. Is Gum Base Vegan? Glycerol can be derived from both animals and plant sources. For this reason, most online sources (dedicated to veganism) classify glycerol as a controversial ingredient unless it is specifically labelled as vegetable glycerol.