Chewing gum that kicks sweet cravings now being developed for children

Do you ever get that intense craving for something sweet? Well one chewing gum manufacturer might have the perfect antidote – and now it is developing it for children too.

Sweet Victory’s crave-stifling chewing gum works within two minutes by blocking the sugar receptors on the tongue, according to the manufacturer. The impulse for something sweet can be abated and extends longer than the physical effect—up to two hours. During that time, Sweet Victory says sweet foods or beverages that normally excite the senses will taste bland or even sour. The product for children is still in the prototype stage, but is slated to launch by the end of 2022.

Development of a child’s version of the product turned out to be a difficult process the manufacturer revealed, taking months to create a totally new product with a child-safe, tailored dosage of the active ingredient, Gymnema sylvestre.

The start-up already conducted trials with children to estimate the impact of this innovative gum on children in Israel, US and France. The results demonstrated that children enjoyed the gum but could not eat confectionery after chewing it due to the change in their receptors.

“The biggest challenge in developing this gum for kids was to create boldly flavoured chewing gum to overcome the bitterness of the herb gymnema,” explained Shimrit Lev, co-founder of Sweet Victory.

“In the gum designed for adults we used strong mint, but in the kid’s product we had to come up with other solutions.”

“By producing a product so attractive to children that, regardless of its effect of blocking sweet taste, it acts as a legitimate substitute for other sweets, simply because it’s delicious,” added Gitit Lahav, co-founder of Sweet Victory.

“We refined the product until we had a very flavourful, yet highly effective chewing gum—a sweet treat that can change eating behaviour and help parents control their kids’ daily sugar consumption.”

“Kicking the sugar ‘habit’ is a real struggle for most of us,” said Lev. “As a mum of two, I have to take control of their diet, especially when it comes to sugar intake. Kids love candies, sweet foods, and soft drinks, but too much can be a health risk.”