How is it made?

_Elsa_

“Would you like to learn how bubblegum is made?” asks Frank. “Great! Let me start the film for you.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j893F1Mgoo4

OMG! Rancid does not like the idea that bubblegum is made with plastic and rubber. Frank explains what gum is. 

‘Gum is not really food. Sure, it’s edible, but that doesn’t mean that you should be eating it. As an appetite suppressant, a distraction, and a breath cleanser, it works just fine for what it is. Sure, it’s an artificial melange of artificial flavors and chemical concoctions wrapped in a sugar-free shell, but it certainly can’t be that bad for you, right? Still, gum’s unidentifiable ingredients have caused some curious consumers to ask the very serious question — is gum plastic? 

According to ThoughtCo.com, chewing gum was originally made from the sap of the sapodilla tree, which is native to Central America. This sap was called chicle at the time and it was mixed with other natural gum bases like sorva, jelutong, and eventually beeswax or paraffin wax. Even then, gum wasn’t strictly “food” though it was a means to an end as far as slaking our collective oral fixation.  

Things changed after World War II when chemists learned to make synthetic rubber. This new rubber, called polyvinyl acetate, came to replace the natural chicle sap in conventional gum. In order to mask the chemical plasticky taste of the new synthetic gum base, manufacturers added sweeteners, flavorings, and softeners made of a host of other food-like ingredients.’ 

“If the gum is made from plastic then why do people chew gum?” asks Rancid. 

‘People chew gum for many reasons. It can freshen breath and clean teeth. It can give you something to munch on when you’re feeling hungry and it might even settle your stomach. There are even studies that suggest chewing gum for ten minutes can relieve anxiety and stress. Bubble gum can even be fun to chew and quite entertaining. Yet are any of these reasons enough to be eating something that might be made of plastic? ’ (Source)  

Rancid answers that with a loud NO! He is very happy that he came here today because now he knows that he will never try bubblegum again. 

Hey, wait a minute! Does that mean that Chewy is made out of plastic?  

Frank thanks them for coming and shows them where the candy store is. 

They both walk through the candy store and much to their surprise the candy is quite expensive. Forget it! They can go to Mr. Toffee’s store and get all the candy that they want.

Let’s continue – The day is coming to an end

Start at the beginning – A trip to Candy Land