Revolymer announces non-stick chewing gum

ERJ staff report (DS)

Mostyn, UK -- A new company Revolymer has introduced a non-stick chewing gum. The company is a spin-off from Bristol University surface chemistry scientists who announced the basic idea in 2005.

The product is now licenced for use in the United States and expects to receive approval in the EU later this year, once German food approvals have been granted. The other 26 EU States have already approved the product for food use.

The commercial launch plan will begin in the US later this year and the products are likely to be available in Europe from the second quarter next year.

A spokeswoman said the new chewing gum is based on similar base materials to existing gums, but there is an additional additive which modifies the surface chemistry to make it less sticky.

The company said, "Current commercial chewing gum once chewed have a surface which behaves like oil (hydrophobic) and so readily stick to sidewalks, textiles etc. and also prevent natural weathering degradation through water ingress.

"The Revolymer technology encourages water to form a layer around the gum allowing it to be more easily removed from most surfaces. Also the technology allows water to penetrate the cud and begin the disintegration process."

Revolymer was founded in October 2005 on technology developed by Professor Terence Cosgrove at the University of Bristol; based on the premise that novel polymers with properties that could improve existing consumer products could be readily made from existing commercially available polymers. After winning a New Enterprise Competition run by the University of Bristol in 2005, Revolymer secured initial seed capital of £750,000 from IPGroup and the Sulis Seedcorn Fund, in February 2006.

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www.revolymer.com/

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