If you have some minutes to hear this podcast you will learn many interesting things about chewing gum.
I had the pleasure to be interviewed by Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley for the 25th chapter of their “Gastropod”.
https://megaphone.link/VMP7473222034
You can also find chapters about many other food-related subjects. In life, not everything is gum! 😉
I was reading this interesting article in “Candy Industry” about the situation and expectations for the market in 2023 and I thought that I would share it here as it touches some points related to important chewing gum companies. Not only the huge Mondelez and Perfetti (I mentioned their agreement in a separate entry that you can find here) but also about Colombina, Arcor and Ezaki Glico which are also very large and important companies.
Please see the link here to Candy Industry
We knew that Mondelez had divestment plans for its gum business, but today appeared a press release announcing that Perfetti Van Melle is the company that is going to take over this part of the business. The production plants in US and Poland, and all the famous brands such as Trident, Dentyne, Bubalooo, etc will be now (pending of authorization from Authorities) part of the Italian player.
Mondelez keeps its gum business in other parts of the world (the factories in Brazil, Mexico, Thailand … and specially China, come to my mind)
It is interesting that some of these brands became part of Mondelez coming from the acquisition of Cadbury, and looking further back in time, we will find Warner Lambert and… Adams! Now, will be part of Perfetti in these markets. So, I wonder, are we going to see a Trident made by Perfetti in Europe and a Trident made by Mondelez in, let’s say South America? That’s going to be interesting.
You can see more details in these articles:
This move involving the second and third players in the chewing gum industry will shake the market and might trigger further moves.
I’d like to share with you the press release informing about the acquisition of Gabler Engineering by Coperion. Gabler has been for many years one of the main suppliers if machinery to the chewing gum industry (but also the wider confectionery and food industry and even pharma). Now will be under the umbrella of the extrusion experts (encompassing other fields away from food and chewing gum) of Coperion.
“Coperion Acquires German Food and Pharmaceutical Specialist Gabler Engineering
· Leverages Gabler’s key extruder technology and knowledge in forming, coating, and feeding equipment
· Enhances Coperion’s food and pharmaceutical portfolio
Stuttgart, Germany, July 2022 – Coperion GmbH has recently acquired food and pharmaceutical specialist Gabler Engineering GmbH, enhancing Coperion’s food and pharmaceutical portfolio. Gabler Engineering, based in Malsch, Germany, specializes in the design, engineering, manufacturing, and implementation of plants and equipment for the confectionery and pharmaceutical industries.
Gabler’s strong position in the confectionery and pharmaceutical businesses builds on Coperion’s existing food and pharmaceutical capabilities. The acquisition will leverage Gabler Engineering’s key strategic technology and know-how to enhance and support Coperion’s strategic growth opportunities in the food and pharmaceutical industries.
“Food and pharmaceutical are among Coperion’s strategic growth end markets, and we believe this acquisition will help us continue to enhance our existing business by leveraging Gabler’s expertise, reputation, and brand recognition in the industry,” said Kevin Buchler, Coperion Division President Strategic Markets / Aftermarket Sales and Services. “We have strong relationships with several multinational corporations and adding Gabler’s key strategic technology and expertise enables us to create more value for our customers.”
About Coperion
Coperion (www.coperion.com) is the global market and technology leader in compounding and extrusion systems, feeding systems, bulk material handling systems, and services. Coperion develops, produces, and services plants, machinery, and components for the plastics, chemical, food, pharmaceutical and minerals industries. Coperion employs 2,500 people worldwide in its two divisions: Polymer and Strategic Markets / Aftermarket Sales and Service, as well as its 30 sales and service companies. “
Some days ago the Brazilian gum base producer Sweet Gum (I posted about them in the past) reached an agreement to acquire the leading gum base supplier world-wide, Cafosa, from Mars. The deal is pending approval from the Authorities, so probably we will hear an official communication about this matter once it is completed.
Cafosa, which is part of Mars, was showing red figures for the last years. Negative financial results, loss of customers and poor performance might be some of the reasons (among others) that led Mars to take this move.
I look forward to see how this changes the game in the gum base sector. I worked for 12 years in Cafosa and I have seen the changes and transformation of the company from a family-owned Catalan SME (Mr Carulla founded the company within the General de Confiteria -later Joyco- Group) to being absorbed by Wrigley and later being part of Mars. Now starts a new era within an environment that has been hit by the Covid19 pandemic and with a decline of chewing gum consumption in many countries.
The news of the day is that next edition of ISM will take place, instead of last weekend in January as it has always been, on 23-25th April 2023.
I personally do not understand the reasons given by the organization, which mentions the current exceptional situation regarding availability raw materials, logistic pressures, increasing prices, etc… I do not know how postponing the exhibition from January to April will make any difference…. but probably I am missing some bit of information..
I was shocked a few days ago when I read the news that Mondelez (Number 2 chewing gum producer worldwide) is planning to divest its gum business. If this finally comes true, it can be one of the largest and most important moves in the chewing gum industry in this XXI century so far.
According to the press release the company only consider this option in developed markets, while they plan to keep the business in the rest. This clearly seems a result of the Covid19 pandemic, which resulted on decrease in chewing gum sales (not only for Mondelez but for almost everybody, I’d say).
Who can be ready to take this business? The first name that came to my mind is Ferrero. The Italian company has been trying to enter the chewing gum market without much success so far (their “TicTac Gum” was withdrawn from the market) and would be an opportunity to take well-established, recognized brands such as Trident in their portfolio. Let’s see what the future brings to us!
I leave you here some articles on this
Today in the news we can see about the merger of these two giants, which will result in an even larger company, active in the fields of nutrition, flavours and fragances.
You can read the article in Foodnavigator and also in Foodingredients1st
I am sure many chewing gum producers worldwide are using, or have used Firmenich flavours at some stage- I do not know how this will affect them on short and long term. I can just say that, personally, I do not think mergers are good news, generally speaking. For sure, the potential of the new company will be huge (I am thinking on R&D potential, production capabilities,…) and I can just hope that this will be for the benefit of the customers.
It is not usual to find chewing gums coming from Australia, but this one is even more unusual: Gum using mastic as gum base. This would go together with the current trend for natural gum bases (several posts earlier in this website) but unlike the natural gum base from chicle /sapodilla tree from Mexico, this product uses the resin from “Pistacia Genus”, a type of mastic gum.
Mastic gum is common in the Middle East, with examples in Turkey and Lebanon but this product made in Australia by Australian Food and Pharmaceutical Industries (AFPI) is different. It comes in flip top boxes and a range of flavours (original mastic, mint, cinnamon) and also a “Zero” version formulated only with mastic gum + beeswax and mint oil. Note that no sweetener is used. This gives a very special taste and texture to the product. There is even a version with probiotics (Organic Kombucha culture)!
All of them are labelled as “organic”.
Thank you to Dr Sharifi for his explanations and time during Gulfood/Dubai.
I invite you to visit their website at www.foodpharmaindu.com
Let me introduce the finalist to the “most innovative health, wellness and plant based product” during the recent Gulfood exhibition that took place in Dubai. I thank Dr Farkas for his time to explain the features of the product, which is in fact quite unique. Its benefits go around Lavender oil, but it is completed with vitamin B3, B5, B7 and Zinc. It claims to contribute “to functioning of mind, psyche and energy metabolism”.
It comes in blister pack with 10 pieces in each sleeve.
Interesting product from an Austrian company (quite unique as well in the chewing gum industry) although produced outside the country. See their website www.happygum.info
Chewing Gum Consultant 