Carnauba Wax in our Gum!

[Epic18s]

Just happen to glance at the ingrediants of my favorite chewing gum and saw that they use carnauba wax in it. Caught me a little off gaurd, but did anyone else know this?



Orbit White
Spearmint

**Ingredients**

Sugarfree Maltitol, gum base, sorbitol, acacia, glycerol, natural and artificial flavors, mannitol, aspartame,
color added, acesulfame K, carnauba wax, BHT (to maintain freshness), Yellow 5, Blue 1
Phenylketonurics: contains phenylalanine

[rusty bumper]

Maybe it will shine up our teeth?

[atclew]

Maybe subconsciously that's why I always chew Orbit gum at work. I can't detail my car, so I might as well shine my teeth.

I can't go into work and talk to aircraft without a stick of Orbit in my mouth! Force of habit now I suppose!

[another_geek]

carnuba is also the wax you see on apples in the grocery store among other things. The main use of carnuba is in various food products. Making car products out of carnuba only accounts for a small percentage of the overall carnuba production in the world

(read this somewhere a while back, but can't remember where...)

[another_geek]

found this on the Mother's website...

Aside from automotive appearance products carnauba wax is used as a finish coating on a wide variety of items including: fine furniture, tobacco pipes and produce (apples, pears, etc. are sprayed with carnauba to achieve their polished look). It’s a major ingredient in lipstick and other cosmetics. Before the advent of vinyl it was used extensively in producing phonograph records. Carnauba wax is so pure it’s routinely used to coat pills in the pharmaceutical industry.

[Setec Astronomy]

Originally posted by toyemp
The main use of carnuba is in various food products. Making car products out of carnuba only accounts for a small percentage of the overall carnuba production in the world

So...I was right...all that #16 wasn't destroying our air quality--it was our food! But seriously, shiny candy coating and fruits (I think in that application it protects as well as beautifies) is something I've known about for 30+ years...I remember it on the M&M Peanut bags...although they don't seem to use it anymore.

[another_geek]

So ....

who is going to be the first one to see if #16 is edible or not?

[Pschrink]

Originally posted by toyemp
So ....

who is going to be the first one to see if #16 is edible or not?

Not me, I generally don't go for blue foods that smell like naptha.