Is Wrigley's Wrigley’s Extra Spearmint Gum ultra-processed?
Yes, it's ultra-processed
- 1 Unprocessed
- 2 Kitchen staple
- 3 Processed
- 4 Ultra-processed
Signs of ultra-processing in its ingredients:
- 17 ingredients
- 10 additives
Less processed confectioneries
Ingredients
Ultra-processing Processing
sorbitol (ultra-processing marker), gum base, humectant (ultra-processing marker) (422), mannitol (ultra-processing marker), flavours (ultra-processing marker), sweetener (ultra-processing marker) (951), colours (ultra-processing marker) (133, 160a), emulsifier (ultra-processing marker) (soy lecithin (ultra-processing marker)), antioxidants (321, 320), phenylalanine
Additives: E133 Brilliant blue FCF , E160a Carotene , E320 Butylated hydroxyanisole (bha) , E321 Butylated hydroxytoluene , E322 Lecithins , E322i Lecithin , E420 Sorbitol , E421 Mannitol , E422 Glycerol , E951 Aspartame
As written on the pack
SORBITOL, GUM BASE, HUMECTANT (422), MANNITOL, FLAVOURS, SWEETENER (951), COLOURS (133, 160a), EMULSIFIER (SOY LECITHIN), ANTIOXIDANTS (321, 320). PHENYLALANINE.
What makes it ultra-processed
Cosmetic additives
Added to change how the food looks, feels or tastes, not to keep it safe. A hallmark of ultra-processed food.
- E133 Brilliant blue FCF Brilliant blue FCF is a synthetic blue dye, listed in the US as FD&C Blue No. 1.
- E160a Carotene Carotenes are orange-yellow pigments, either synthesised or extracted from carrots, algae or palm oil.
- E322 Lecithins Lecithins are fatty substances extracted mostly from soybeans, sunflower seeds or eggs, used as emulsifiers to keep fat and water mixed, for example in chocolate.
- E420 Sorbitol Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol used as a sweetener and to keep products moist.
- E421 Mannitol Humectants are substances which prevent foods from drying out by counteracting the effect of an atmosphere having a low degree of humidity, or promote the dissolution of a powder in an aqueous medium.
- E422 Glycerol Glycerol is a sweet-tasting liquid used to keep products moist and soft.
Show 6 more
- E951 Aspartame Aspartame is a synthetic sweetener about 200 times sweeter than sugar, used in diet drinks and sugar-free products.
- Colour Colours are added to restore colour lost in processing or to make a product look more appealing.
- Emulsifier Emulsifiers keep fat and water from separating, giving products a smooth, stable texture over a long shelf life.
- Flavouring Flavourings are concentrated aroma preparations that add or intensify a taste.
- Humectant Humectants are substances which prevent foods from drying out by counteracting the effect of an atmosphere having a low degree of humidity, or promote the dissolution of a powder in an aqueous medium.
- Sweetener Sweeteners give sweetness with few or no calories, many at hundreds of times the strength of sugar.
1 ingredient that would only make it processed
Kitchen staples like sugar, salt and oil. On their own they make a food processed, not ultra-processed.
- Sweet snacks Products in the category "Sweet snacks" are at least group 3.
Among 76 sugar-free chewing gum
From least to most processed, this one ranks 47th. 99% of the sugar-free chewing gum here are ultra-processed.
About this information
- Data from this product on Open Food Facts (barcode 93613903, last edited 30 December 2025), available under the Open Database License. If something is wrong or the recipe has changed, you can correct it there.
- Photo: Open Food Facts contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0.
- The NOVA group is an automated estimate from crowdsourced data: a missing or mistyped ingredient can change it.
- General information, not medical or dietary advice. Check the pack if you have an allergy.