Info from Wrigley:
Thanks for contacting Wrigley to ask for information about Excel® Gum. We understand it’s important to you to know the ingredients in the food you eat, and we’d be happy to share the information with you.
In answer to your question, the vast majority of Wrigley products sold in Canada are free from ingredients of animal origin, including egg and dairy products. Glycerin is the most common ingredient in our gum products. Glycerin can come from animal, vegetable or synthetic sources. The glycerin we use comes from vegetable sources only.
At present, the only exceptions are Extra® Polar Ice, Altoids® mints, Juicy Fruit Twisted Green, Lifesavers Gummies, Excel Cool Blast mints, Excel Mist and 5 React and Creme Savers. Extra® Polar Ice gum contains tiny flavour beads encased in a microscopic layer of gelatin, which is animal based. This brand is not to be confused with Excel ® Polar Ice, which does not contain gelatin. Juicy Fruit Twisted Green gum uses shellac (also known as Confectioner's Glaze) as a coating agent.
In addition, the different varieties of our ALTOIDS® mints, Lifesavers Gummies and Excel Cool Blast (liquid-filled) mints do contain very small quantities of gelatin which is derived from pork. Gelatin does not impart any flavor to Altoids, but it's a necessary ingredient for the texture of the mints. When we use gelatin it is thoroughly purified and dried during its manufacturing process. Creme Savers use dairy products.
Our staff is continually looking at alternatives to animal gelatin, but at the moment we've not been able to find a substitute that produces the same quality consumers expect of our products.
Another common question concerns whether glycerin or sugar alcohols are true alcohols or not. Glycerin is an alcohol but this type of alcohol is a natural byproduct of most plants, fruits and vegetables or it sometimes has a synthetic source. Sugar alcohols refers to the group of ingredients that are artificial sweeteners. We would like to point out that these alcohols are NOT the same as the ethyl alcohol found in alcoholic beverages.
All colors used by the Company have been extensively tested, are safe and have been approved for food use by all appropriate authorities in the countries where they are sold.
We hope this information is helpful to you. Again, thanks for contacting us, and we hope you'll continue to enjoy our products. Your interest in Wrigley is greatly appreciated.
Have a sweet day,
Sincerely,
Consumer Care Representative
