Okay, so I decided to figure out what’s actually in Ice Cubes gum. I mean, I chew it all the time, but do I really know what I’m putting in my mouth? Probably not. Time to change that. I grabbed a pack of the Peppermint flavor and started my little investigation.
First Impressions
The packaging is pretty flashy, all bright colors and promises of “icy fresh breath.” But I’m not interested in the marketing fluff. I flipped it over to the ingredients list, and… wow, it’s a lot of stuff.
The Deep Dive
- Sorbitol, Maltitol, Mannitol, Xylitol, Aspartame… – It is so many sweeteners! I mean, I get it, it’s sugar-free gum, but this seems like overkill. Figured Xylitol is good for teeth.
- Gum Base – Okay, this one is super vague. What is gum base, exactly? I guess it’s the stuff that makes it chewy, but that’s not very helpful. It is mystery!
- Natural and Artificial Flavors – Again, not very specific. “Natural” sounds good, but what does it actually mean? And “artificial”… well, that could be anything. I need get more detail about this.
- Soy Lecithin – I’ve heard of this before. Apparently, it helps keep things mixed together. An emulsifier, I think it’s called.
- Acesulfame Potassium– –I have seem that is a calorie-free sweetener.
- Other Stuff – There’s a bunch of other things listed, like “Gum Arabic” (another thickener?), “Glycerol” (no idea), and some coloring agents (Blue 1 Lake, Yellow 5 Lake).
My “Experiment”
I chewed a piece of the gum while I was looking at all this stuff. I have to use my usual way to enjoy this gum. And I tried to see if I could taste any of the individual ingredients. Of course, all I got was a blast of peppermint, which is probably the “natural and artificial flavors” doing their thing.
Final Thoughts
Honestly, looking at the ingredients list was a bit… overwhelming. It’s a lot of stuff I don’t recognize, and some of it sounds pretty chemical-y. But, I also know that a lot of processed foods have long lists of ingredients, and many is to keep it fresh. It’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Will I stop chewing Ice Cubes gum? Probably not. It still tastes good, and it does freshen my breath. Maybe I’ll try to be a little more mindful of how much I chew, though. Moderation in everything, right?
