91av

It’s official: the Wrigley Company of Chicago admits that discarded chewing
gum is an “unsightly nuisance”. So Wrigley’s researchers are patenting a new
kind of gum (WO 99/31994) that does not stick to brick, wood, carpets or
fabrics. The new gum will be a mix of silicone and polyvinyl acetate, which has
a good affinity for water. A filler such as calcium carbonate is added, along
with sugar or an artificial sweetener. The silicone is solid at room
temperature, but is softened by the polyvinyl acetate when chewed. Once the gum
leaves the warm, wet mouth, it hardens—and won’t stick where it isn’t
wanted.