Does gum go bad?

Chewing gum has more advantages than disadvantages, and with the development of sweeteners used in chewing gum, they are not that bad for your teeth these days. If gum contains CPP -ACP, chewing this type of gum can reverse tooth decay and prevent fillings from your dentist.

Did you know that chewing gum for long periods can damage your jaw? Your jaw is only meant to chew for a few minutes each day. If you have jaw pain while chewing gum, it’s advisable to stop chewing as you may be causing joint wear.

This article will find out if chewing gum goes bad and, if it does, can you extend its shelf life. We answer many burning questions you need answers to.

Let’s get into it.

Chewing gum expiration

Does gum expire?

The next time you pick up a packet of chewing gum, flip the pack around and check out the expiry date of the gum. There is no expiry date on the gum. What type of hocus pocus is this?

In many countries, no mandates or regulations require chewing gum manufacturers to place an expiry date on the packaging.

Chewing gum is incredibly shelf stable, and gum reacts with hardly any substances in addition to its very low moisture content. The truth is chewing gum retains its chew properties and flavor profile better than any other product on the market.

However, chewing gum doesn’t last forever. In fact, it has a shelf life of about a year in many stores, but at home, you could say that gum has an indefinite shelf life if it’s stored in a cool, dry environment.

Even in the heat, chewing becomes more pliable but remains in good shape and is perfectly acceptable to eat.

Does chewing gum need to be refrigerated?

It depends. If your refrigerator is very cold, chewing gum won’t be good. It may make it brittle and somewhat challenging to chew until it becomes malleable and regains its gum-like properties.

But cool chewing gum is fine. It’s great to eat despite losing its cooler temperature quickly.

The answer is no in terms of refrigerating gum extending the shelf life the answer is no. 

If you are worried about the shelf life of gum, you may have had it for a long time. You can be assured it’s okay. If you feel some flavor profile has diminished, but fresh gum is better, go ahead and buy fresh gum. Keep the older gum for a rainy day.

How long can gum sit out on the side?

Most gum sticks are wrapped, and packets of gum with sugar-coated pieces of gum are pretty hardy. You can leave gum on the side for a long time. Bacteria are not going to flourish due to the sugar content.

Wrapped sticks of gum are protected from environmental factors such as dust in the air and flying insects.

It is advisable to keep chewing gum packs sealed when not in use.

Does unopened chewing gum go bad?

If it does, it will take a very long time, and you could reasonably expect a pack of gum left in a cabinet for years on end would go bad. But the term bad may be slightly misleading and subjective.

Old chewing gum will eventually lose some of its flavor, but that’s not the base of the gum, just the flavoring. Gum will become rigid and less pliable than fresh chewing gum. However, this does not mean it’s bad for most people, and chewing it will not cause you harm.

How long does chewing gum last in the fridge?

It is not advisable to keep chewing gum in the fridge; it will not extend the product’s shelf life, and it is better at room temperature.

Also, your fridge contains a lot of moisture. Not that moisture destroys gum, but it can make it hard and dilute the surface sugar coating, which contains the flavorings.

If you have ever taken a drink while chewing gum, you will know that the gum loses its elasticity. The loss of elasticity is the gum’s temperature change and has nothing to do with the water.

How long will gum last in the freezer?

It is not recommended to freeze chewing gum. It will make the gum brittle and could render it useless. If chewing gum is not stirred correctly and becomes subject to freezer burn caused by sublimation, then that could also destroy the gum even though it has a very low moisture content.

Keep chewing gum in the car, in your pocket, in a cabinet in your home, and in a cool, dry place. If you do this, the gum will last a long time.

Different types of gum

Does bubble gum go bad?

No, bubble gum can last as long as any other gum in a sealed packet or container, the type of gum has minimal impact on the longevity of the gum. The flavor profiles change, and it would be reasonable to suggest cheaper gums lose their flavor profile faster than more expensive chewing gum.

However, bubble gum becomes so tedious and jawbreaking you will sometimes wish it had gone bad.

Does sugarless gum go bad?

Bad is subjective and the wrong term to be used regarding chewing gum. Eventually, chewing gum as a product will come to the end of its life. But due to its no reactive state, it will last for years before any degradation takes place.

Sugarless gum is one of the better chewing gums to indulge yourself in, and if you are into oral health, it’s recommended to chew sugarless gum for twenty minutes after meals and drinks.

Sugarless gum will reduce acidity in the mouth and help protect your teeth.

Does nicotine gum go bad?

Yes. It’s important to distinguish the difference between nicotine gum and regular chewing gum. 

You may not know this little fact, chewing come is considered a food by the FDA despite not having nutritional value. This is why people of any age can walk into the grocery store and pick up packs of chewing gum without question.

Plus, it will not harm you other than possibly making your teeth rot in your gums if you choose the wrong gum.

In contrast to regular common or garden chewing gum, nicotine gum is a medicine controlled and regulated by the FDA. As such, it can’t be purchased by little johnny walking into the grocery store.

In fact, you need to be 21 years old to buy nicotine gum and nicotine products.

Back to the question, yes, nicotine gum does expire and should not be used if it has expired.

Does xanthan gum go bad?

Yes. But xanthan gum is not chewing gum but is nevertheless interesting for its properties. Xanthan gum has a shelf life of 3 years and, once opened, should be kept in an airtight container in the fridge or pantry where it is not exposed to heat or sunlight.

Do you use xanthan gum? It’s in many products, from salad dressing to sauces and even toothpaste; it’s a product stabilizer.

How long does it take to digest gum?

If you listen to your great-grandmother, you are in trouble. It can take seven years to digest a stick of chewing gum, and if you swallow more, what will happen to you?

It happened to the best of us as kids to hide the fact you are chewing gum, or as an adult, you inadvertently swallow it. But rest assured, seven-year to digest chewing gum is folklore.

This is the process of what happens to gum when it’s swallowed.

• Oops, you swallowed the gum accidentally.
• The gum then starts its journey and passes through your esophagus into your small intestine.
• Your small intestine is very efficient at absorbing the sugars and any nutrients that are present in the gum.
• The part of the gum that is not digestible then passes from the small intestine to the colon.
• Once in the colon, it takes a torturous journey to the rectum, and bingo, at your next bowel movement, it is out.

Depending on the frequency of your bowel movements, it could hang around for seven days in your body, but seven years is a bit of a stretch of anyone’s imagination.

How many days are 7 years?

2,557 days equates to 7 years. It is a long time to pass that piece of gum you swallowed when you were 14 years old!

Final thoughts

Chewing gum has been with us for a long time. What we consider chewing gum came from Mexico in the 1860s. It was bought in New York and given to Thomas Adamas as a rubber substitute.

Chewing gum swings in popularity will depend on the flavor and marketing companies if we buy the product or not. But like most products, it has advantages and disadvantages.

Chewing gum is not reactive and, as such, can be stored for a long time with the degradation of the product.

There is no evidence to suggest that swallowing chewing gum causes harm to you, and it will work its way out of your body in due course.