Despite acknowledgement of the negative environmental impact of discarded gum, impacts on health have largely gone unreported. Here, Cuong Cao from Queen’s University Belfast and founder of Nuud Keir Carnie relay startling study results quantifying the levels of microplastics leached into the body from these polymer gums, highlighting the need for urgent regulatory reform.
Few consumers realise that the simple act of chewing gum contributes to one of the most pervasive and least regulated sources of micro- and nanoplastic (MNP) exposure in the modern diet. Most chewing gum is made from synthetic polymers – the very same plastics used in carrier bags, car tyres and glue.
In the UK alone, an estimated 28 million people chew 4 billion pieces of plastic gum every year and about half of them are Gen Z.”
For decades, this fact has been hidden in plain sight, with manufacturers listing the innocuous wording “gum base” on ingredient labels – a legally permissible but deeply opaque term that masks a complex mix of petrochemical plastics. This practice persists under current UK regulations, with little scrutiny from public health authorities or environmental agencies.
Recent research from Queen’s University Belfast has revealed the potential scale of MNP exposure from chewing conventional plastic-based gum.[1] The study found that chewing a single piece of plastic gum can release over 250,000 MNP particles, highlighting potential concerns about oral exposure to MNPs and their possible effects on human health. This exposure particularly impacts young people, who represent the largest group of chewing-gum consumers.
The scale of exposure is concerning. In the UK alone, an estimated 28 million people[2] chew 4 billion pieces of plastic gum every year and about half of them are Gen Z.[3] This means that millions of young consumers may be exposed to MNPs through a product often perceived as harmless. While the long-term health effects of ingesting plastics are not yet fully understood, early research has suggested possible links between MNP exposure and inflammatory responses in the body.[4]
Chewing gum occupies an ambiguous space: it is categorised as a food, yet permitted to contain materials that would never be allowed in any other edible product.”
This situation represents a regulatory blind spot. While DEFRA and the Food Standards Agency maintain oversight of food safety, chewing gum occupies an ambiguous space: it is categorised as a food, yet permitted to contain materials that would never be allowed in any other edible product.
Furthermore, the absence of mandatory disclosure regarding plastic content prevents consumers from making informed choices about what they put into their bodies. Young consumers, drawn to colourful branding and sweet flavours, are unknowingly ingesting plastics with every chew.
There is a pressing need for regulatory reform and transparency in labelling should be the first step – consumers deserve to know when a product contains plastic. More broadly, policymakers should re-evaluate whether plastics should have any place in food products at all. The emergence of plastic-free, plant-based chewing gum alternatives demonstrates growing efforts to develop safer and more sustainable materials for consumer products.
Queens University Belfast’s findings, alongside campaigning from groups such as Nuud[5] and Kids Against Plastic,[6] has brought this issue into the political arena. A growing coalition of cross-party MPs[7] is now calling on DEFRA to review the use of synthetic polymers in chewing gum and to evaluate the potential health risks posed by microplastics ingestion.
If history has taught us anything, it is that regulatory systems tend to lag behind science. The evidence is now mounting that MNPs represent a new frontier in toxicology and food safety. It is time for the food industry – and those who govern it – to confront this reality. Chewing gum should not be a hidden MNP threat to young people’s health.
References
- Pant U, Tate J, Liu X, et al. (2025). From automated Raman to cost-effective nanoparticle-on-film (NPoF) SERS spectroscopy: a combined approach for assessing micro- and nanoplastics released into the oral cavity from chewing gum. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 486,
- Chewing Gum Waste | Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council [Internet]. Available from:
- Kantar World Panel – TGI Sourcing UK
- Yue Li, Le Tao, Qiong Wang, et al. (2023). Potential Health Impact of Microplastics: A Review of Environmental Distribution, Human Exposure, and Toxic Effects. Environment & Health, 1 (4), 249-257,
- Ldn-Post, Ldn-Post. Kids spit out the truth with shocking Poisoned by Plastic campaign as Parliament called to ban plastic gum – London Post [Internet]. 2025 [cited 2025 Nov 26]. Available from:
Meet the authors
Dr. Cuong Cao is Reader at the Institute for Global Food Security, Queen’s University Belfast. He established and leads the Applied Micro- and Nanotechnology Research Lab. His group develops plasmonic and catalytic nanomaterials, nanoplasmonics- and nanozyme-based biosensors, and cost-effective portable detection systems to tackle infectious diseases, antimicrobial resistance, food integrity, and environmental pollution, with the aim of improving healthcare and food safety.
Keir Carnie is the founder of Nuud, the UK’s leading plastic-free chewing gum brand. He spearheads a national movement uniting MPs, scientists, action groups and mission-led brands to tackle the UK’s plastic chewing gum problem. With over 15 years’ experience in the food and drink industry, Keir has worked across the full spectrum of consumer businesses – from purpose-driven challengers to major multinational organisations.
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