Chewing gum may be nice, but it could be full of microplastics

There has been mixed reactions to research results, suggesting that chewing gum can release hundreds to thousands of microplastics into saliva.

This has left many people wide-eyed and some worried about what they have been putting in their mouths.

The pilot study, which is being peer-reviewed, was presented at the biannual meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Diego this week.

Researchers say on average, 100 microplastics were released per gram of chewing gum.

Conducting the study, researchers got a PhD student at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Lisa Lowe, to actually chew on seven pieces of 10 brands of gum, respectively.

Chemical analysis was then done on her saliva.

The results found that a gram of gum released an average of 100 microplastic fragments, though some shed more than 600.

People who chew around 180 pieces of gum a year could be ingesting roughly 30 000 microplastics, the researchers say.

However, the lead researcher behind the study, Sanjay Mohanty, has moved to allay fears, saying they don’t want to alarm anyone.

“Scientists don’t know if microplastics are unsafe to us or not. There are no human trials. But we know we are exposed to plastics in everyday life, and that’s what we wanted to examine here,” says Mohanty in a statement.

Small shards of plastic called microplastics have been found throughout the world, from the tops of mountains to the bottom of the ocean and even in the air we breathe, according to the researchers.

Despite this, however, what’s even more eye-opening is that microplastics can also be found in the human body, sparking fears about the potential effect this could be having on people’s health.

Mohanty says most common chewing gum is called synthetic gum, which contains petroleum-based polymers to get that chewy effect, adding that not all ingredients are put on the packaging.

The researchers also warned of the pollution created by the rubber-based sweet, with Lowe warning about the plastic pollution from chewing gum, particularly when people spit it out onto the sidewalk or not throwing it in the bin.

Did you know that the plastics is one of the main ingredient of the chewing gum? pic.twitter.com/mBytcK0Xrf

— Johnny (@j00ny369T) March 25, 2025

“Researchers found that chewing gum, on average, releases over 600 particles of microplastics per gram, with the average stick of gum weighing between 2 and 6 grams, according to the study…” — Douglas Main

So, who’s quitting gum today? https://t.co/KwMubg7o8M

— Children’s Health Defense (@ChildrensHD) March 27, 2025

“A new pilot study found that chewing one piece of gum can release hundreds to thousands of #microplastics into the saliva.”https://t.co/Yj6YmQIqtQ

— Ian Weissman, DO (@DrIanWeissman) March 26, 2025

The National Confectioners Association has, nonetheless, reiterated the researchers’ stance that there is no cause for alarm.

According to the American candy trade organisation, gum is safe to enjoy as it has been for more than 100 years. Written by Noni Harris