Truth. Most gum is plastic. Synthetic latex to be specific. And synthetic latex examples include butadiene-styrene rubber, polyethylene, and polyvinyl acetate. Versions of synthetic latex make tyres, plastic bags and other items you would be plastic-ly familiar with. (Now it might make sense why chewing gums are the second most commonly littered thing in the world. Apart from an apparent obsession of spitting the stuff out on the ground or sticking it under tables, it doesn't decompose. Just like other forms of plastic.)MOST CONSUMERS ARE SURPRISED TO LEARN THAT REGULAR CHEWING GUMS ARE MADE FROM PLASTICS AND LATEX. WITH MANUFACTURERS USING VAGUE INGREDIENT DESCRIPTIONS, OFTEN ONLY LISTING “GUM BASE” WITHOUT FURTHER DETAIL, IT IS DIFFICULT FOR CUSTOMERS TO KNOW WHAT THEY’RE REALLY BUYING - AND CHEWING ON. Like many things (mmm, plant based burgers), gum was once made from an actual plant and one of them was a Pistacia tree. It's resin, mastic gum, was actually used to treat illnesses. The Persian pharmacist, physician and philosopher Avicenna (980-1037) prescribed gum from Pistacia trees for abdominal pain, heartburn and skin infections. In the 13th century, Arab physician Ibn Al-Baytar prescribed mastic gum for upper abdominal pain, heartburn, gastric and intestinal ulcers.
In 1982 archaeologists found a late Bronze Age shipwreck containing 100 jars of mastic that had been used by the Egyptians for medicinal purposes. The ancient Greek physicians Galenus and Dioscorides both described the medicinal properties and usage of mastic oil. Today, numerous peer-reviewed articles have been published on the biological activities and medicinal properties of the mastic gum, including work by Dr. Sharifi, the founder of AFPI (Australian Food and Pharmaceutical Industries), who now produce Mastic Gum here in Australia.
Manufactured at AFPI’s premises in Bombaderry, on the South Coast of NSW, the gum base in Mast Chew is created from wild harvested tree resin (also commonly known as ‘mastic gum’). Dr Sharif Sharifi brought the business with him to Australia in 2015 from Kurdistan, where he originally started the world's first commercially manufactured plant based gum around 35 years ago. The Kurdistan company is still being run by his brothers and the chewing gum is available for sale in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Turkey and throughout a lot of the Middle East. From NSW South Coast, AFPI manufacture innovative foods and nutraceuticals by combining up-to-date scientific knowledge with thousands-of-years-old traditional health practices. And Mast Chew is a good example. Because Mast Chew is plant-based, it is safe to swallow, but it is even good for you if you do swallow it. The mastic gum in Mast Chew exhibits naturally occurring antimicrobial activity which maintains gut health and was traditionally used to treat stomach related illnesses.
Mast Chew is sugar-free, doesn’t contain artificial sweeteners, is vegetarian (and egg-free and dairy-free, but does contain beeswax), aspartame-free, and carries the benefits of essential mint oil. Mast Chew is also free from titanium dioxide (also known as E171) commonly added to food or confectionery as a whitener, or occasionally as an anti-caking agent. Last month the French government placed a ban on titanium dioxide, that will come into effect in 2020, acknowledging the carcinogenic risk the additive poses. AFPI (Australian Food and Pharmaceutical Industries) make products with a health purpose. Their range includes Mast Chew chewing gum, Nowra Bars, Mastic Capsules and Essential Oils, and BCCA Capsules for energy production and muscle recovery.