what are the oral health benefits of chewing sugarfree gum?

Chewing sugar free gum such as EXTRA Professional™ Calcium has been clinically proven to positively impact oral health, stimulating saliva by 10 times.² Saliva is the body's own natural tooth protection. It works in three ways:

• Restores pH balance in the mouth neutralising plaque acids;
• Helps clean away food that may have lodged in teeth and gums; and
• As the minerals in saliva are the same in teeth, it can help to remineralise teeth attacked by acid

The FDI World Dental Federation recognises that chewing sugarfree gum after eating and drinking is beneficial to oral health.

what's the difference between the extra professional range and other sugar free chewing gums?

The EXTRA Professional range builds upon the clinical findings about the oral healthcare benefits of chewing, by utilising active ingredients to help clean, whiten and strengthen teeth:

1. 1.EXTRA Professional contains microgranules. Extra Professional stimulates saliva helping to clean your teeth as you chew giving you that 'just brushed clean feeling'.
2. 2.EXTRA Professional White can help combat the discolouring effect that many foods such as tea, coffee and red wine can have on teeth. EXTRA Professional White Peppermint contains Sodium Bicarbonate. EXTRA Professional White Lemon Lime contains Calcium Phosphate.
3. 3.EXTRA Professional Calcium provides 10 percent of the recommended daily intake of calcium by chewing 2 pieces for 20 mins every day. Calcium helps strengthen teeth and bones

The FDI World Dental Federation recognises that chewing sugarfree gum after eating and drinking is beneficial to oral health.

What is EXTRA Professional Calcium?

New EXTRA Professional Calcium is the latest innovation in the EXTRA Professional chewing gum range.

EXTRA Professional Calcium contains calcium. Calcium is needed for strong teeth and bones. It has the same great taste of Wrigley sugarfree gum, but now with a little bit Extra.

Why should consumers chew EXTRA Professional Calcium?

Research shows that ninety percent of Australians do not get enough calcium in their diets. EXTRA Professional Calcium is designed to complement your nutritional intake of calcium. Chewing two pieces of EXTRA Professional Calcium for 20 minutes a day will give consumers 10 per cent of their recommended dietary intake (RDI) of calcium.

It provides Australians with an opportunity to get a little bit extra calcium intake throughout the day, without adding extra kilojoules, salt, sugar or fat to their diet.

Why has Wrigley developed a product fortified with calcium?

Consumer wellness is a key focus for the evolving global Wrigley portfolio. Here in Australia, calcium deficiency is well documented. Recent studies have revealed that 90 percent of Australians are not consuming enough calcium.

In the lead up to the launch of EXTRA Professional Calcium, Wrigley worked closely with Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) to ensure that the right measures and plans were in place prior developing our local formulation for the product.

The result is a product that meets the stringent standards of FSANZ, and the needs of the Australian consumer.

Is there clinical evidence to prove the claims being made by EXTRA Professional Calcium in relation to Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI)?

Our test protocol is conducted in accordance with all requirements and recommendations of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Code) by our Global Innovation Centre in Chicago, in consultation with third party laboratories.

The Code recommends mechanical chew out testing, whereby a specially designed machine simulates the chewing motion of a human mouth.

"The gum is tested for calcium at the start, and then the chewed in the machine for 20 minutes.

"The chewed gum (cud) is then retested for calcium, and the variance between the before and after tests is the amount of calcium released during chewing.

"Wrigley supplements this mechanical chew method with human chew out testing, using the same "before and after" analysis to determine released calcium."

"As with all Wrigley products, EXTRA Professional Calcium meets all food compliance regulations in Australia and New Zealand. The calcium fortification of chewing gum was approved in the Code in 2009.

There are other chewing gums available in Australia, such as Recaldent, which include calcium and provide oral health benefits. Why should consumers choose EXTRA Professional Calcium?

EXTRA Professional Calcium provides the same great taste of Wrigley sugarefree gum, but now with just a little bit extra.

By chewing two pieces of EXTRA Professional Calcium for 20 minutes each day will give you 10 percent of your RDI of calcium. In addition, the EXTRA Professional range can provide significant oral health benefits including strengthening, cleaning and whitening your teeth.

Shouldn't we be consuming more foods that are high in calcium, rather than sourcing calcium from chewing gum?

Yes, ideally Australians should be consuming adequate calcium as part of a healthy balanced diet, but the reality is that this is just not happening. Recent studies have revealed that 90 percent of Australians are not consuming enough calcium.

To achieve the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) to 1000mg of calcium per day, people should consume calcium-rich foods such as milk and dairy products, leafy green vegetables, fish, nuts and seeds.

However, the majority of people are not achieving their RDI of calcium, often because some of the richest sources of calcium are also seen to be high in fat.

EXTRA Professional Calcium provides Australians with an opportunity to get a little bit extra calcium intake throughout the day, without adding extra kilojoules, salt, sugar or fat to their diet.

Are people going to stop buying calcium supplements because they can now get their intake by chewing gum?

EXTRA Professional Calcium is not a dietary supplement. It is intended to complement one's nutritional intake, providing Australians with an easy way to get a little bit extra calcium intake throughout the day, without adding extra kilojoules, salt, sugar or fat to their diet.

Can you consume too much calcium? Can you overdose?

Excess consumption of any one type of food is not recommended. In terms of calcium, your body stores calcium in your bones and teeth, but calcium also resides in certain cells, particularly in your muscles and your blood. Your body is able to rid itself of any excess calcium.

While the upper recommended limit for calcium is 2500mg/day most people do not get anywhere close to this amount. In fact, ninety percent of Australians don't get enough calcium in their diets.

Studies have reported links between calcium supplements and an increased risk of heart attacks and kidney stones, is Wrigley concerned that including calcium in EXTRA professional chewing gum will also lead to an increased risk?

The quality and safety of our products is paramount. Our R&D testing is conducted in accordance with FSANZ standards by our Global Innovation Centre in Chicago in consultation with third party laboratories.

As with all Wrigley products, EXTRA Professional Calcium meets all food compliance regulations in Australia. EXTRA Professional Calcium was approved by FSANZ.

What about food compliance issues regarding the fortification of confectionery?

As with all Wrigley products, EXTRA Professional Calcium meets all food compliance regulations in Australia, New Zealand and its export markets.

Calcium-fortified sugarfree chewing gum (≤0.2% residual sugars) was approved by FSANZ (published December 2008) on the basis that it:

• Does not raise any safety concerns for consumers or the general population
• Provides consumers with an additional source of calcium in their diet
• Has the potential to assist in addressing inadequate calcium intakes among Australian and New Zealand consumers of calcium fortified chewing gum
• May provide consumers with a short-term dental benefit arising from topical application of calcium
• Is consistent with FSANZ's statutory objectives including having regard to Ministerial policy guidance on voluntary fortification
• Supports industry innovation
• Provides consumers with adequate labelling information to make an informed choice

The impact analysis concluded that fortification of chewing gum (≤0.2% residual sugars) with calcium provides a net benefit to affected parties.

Aren't you setting an undesirable precedent that allows the fortification of other low nutrient density products like confectionery or soft drinks?

50 per cent of Australians already chew gum, so it is an ideal way to add a little but more calcium to people's diets, without having to sustain a major lifestyle shift or add extra kilojoules.

Consumer wellness is a key focus for the evolving global Wrigley portfolio. EXTRA Professional Calcium, like all of our sugarfree gum products, provides significant oral health benefits. The active ingredients in the EXTRA Professional range are designed to enhance oral health, through a range of benefits including strengthening, cleaning and whitening.

Are there any side-effects from chewing EXTRA Professional Calcium? Can I chew too much?

Excess consumption of any one type of food is not recommended.

Excess consumption of sugarfree gum may have a laxative effect.

Is EXTRA Professional Calcium suitable for children?

Typically, it is not recommended that very young children chew gum. However, because each child's development is unique, the decision to let a child chew gum should be a parental decision, reached after careful consideration of all relevant information.

Does EXTRA Professional Calcium contain aspartame? Is aspartame safe?

As with all sugarfree products, EXTRA Professional Calcium contains very small amounts of aspartame which is added to give the product sweetness. All artificial sweeteners used by Wrigley have been extensively tested and have been approved by local food authorities including FSANZ. The quality and safety of our products is paramount.

Is EXTRA Professional Calcium made in Australia?

Yes. EXTRA Professional Calcium, like the majority of Wrigley chewing gum and mint products, is manufactured in Australia. We have been manufacturing quality products from our factory in Asquith, New South Wales, for more than 50 years.

When does EXTRA Professional Calcium launch?

EXTRA Professional Calcium will be on shelf from March 2011.

What activity will support the launch of EXTRA Professional Calcium?

The launch of EXTRA Professional Calcium will be supported via an integrated marketing and communications campaign across Australia and New Zealand, including above the line advertising, proactive media relations, healthcare professional engagement and experiential marketing to drive awareness about the launch.

Who is this product aimed at?

EXTRA Professional Calcium provides Australian adults with an opportunity to get a little bit extra calcium intake throughout the day, without adding extra kilojoules, salt, sugar or fat to their diet.

However, we believe EXTRA Professional Calcium is an ideal way for all women - from teenagers to young mothers and working women - that struggle to get enough calcium in their diet to conveniently boost their daily calcium intake.

How much will EXTRA Professional Calcium cost?

EXTRA Professional Calcium costs RRP $1.20 for a 10 piece blister pack and $3.25 for 3 pack multipack.

Why do we need to eat calcium?

Calcium is essential throughout life for strong bones and teeth. It is also essential to many of our bodily functions - without calcium, our muscles wouldn't contract correctly, blood wouldn't clot, and our nerves wouldn't transmit messages. Almost every cell in our bodies – including those in our heart, nerves, and muscles – needs calcium.

Our bodies cannot make calcium, so it must come from our diet. If we don't have enough calcium in our bloodstream, it is leached from our bones. If our bodies continue to steal calcium from the bones, they can become weak and be susceptible to diseases such as osteoporosis.

90 per cent of Australian adults don't consume enough calcium each day . As 50 per cent of Australians already chew gum, EXTRA Professional Calcium is an ideal way to provide an additional accessible and convenient source of calcium for consumers, without them having to maintain a major lifestyle shift.

How much calcium do people need?

Your daily calcium needs depend on your age and sex. Adults typically require 1000mg of calcium each day. Chewing two pieces of EXTRA Professional Calcium for 20 minutes a day will give adult consumers 10 per cent of their RDI of calcium.

The Institute of Medicine recently released a study titled "Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium and Vitamin D" stating that the majority of Americans are getting enough calcium in their diet and cautioning against the use of dietary supplements. Do Australians need calcium supplements?

Here in Australia, studies have revealed that 90 percent of Australian adults are not consuming enough calcium. Our bodies cannot make calcium, so it must come from our diets. Since 50 per cent of Australians already chew gum, it's an ideal vehicle to add a little bit more calcium to people's diets, without having to sustain a major lifestyle shift.

EXTRA Professional Calcium is not a dietary supplement. It provides Australians with an easy way to get a little bit extra calcium intake throughout the day, without adding extra kilojoules, salt, sugar or fat to their diet.

What are other ways that people can achieve the daily average RDI of calcium?

To achieve the RDI of 1000mg of calcium per day, an adult would need to consume either⁵:

• 3 ½ cups of regular milk
• Almost 3 tubs of natural yoghurt
• 128g of cheddar cheese
• 33 cups of cooked broccoli
• 300 almonds
• 2 cups of canned salmon

This is just another product that will lead to gum litter which tax payers have to pay to clean up. What is Wrigley doing about the problem of gum litter?

Wrigley is a committed corporate citizen that continues to encourage people to dispose of their litter appropriately. Wrigley was among the first companies to put litter disposal messages on all packaging more than 40 years ago. We continue to promote good disposal messages via packaging, point-of-sale and other communication materials.

We believe that litter education is the only sustainable solution to effect behavioural change. To this end, to promote responsible disposal behaviour, we partner with governments and environmental NGOs to raise awareness and encourage more responsible behaviour through targeted education campaigns. We work in partnership with local environmental groups like Keep Australia Beautiful to sponsor school litter education programs which reach an estimated 175,000 Australian students (Qld, NSW) per annum.

What is gum actually made of?

The Wrigley Company openly shares ingredient and nutritional information on our labelling and on our website. Consumers are encouraged to use this as a reference tool for any Wrigley product.