The Wrigley Company is launching a new calcium enriched gum in Australia and New Zealand, claiming its ‘on-the-go’ delivery system can help address the reported calcium intake deficiency among 90 per cent of the Australian population.

According to Wrigley, chewing two pieces of its new fortified gum Extra Professional Calcium for 20 minutes can deliver 10 per cent of the recommended daily intake (RDI) for the mineral. Shane Bonello, Wrigley pacific sales director, commented: “We know that consumers are increasingly seeking products that offer additional new benefits, so we believe that Extra Professional Calcium has the potential to expand the category by increasing per capita consumption and attracting new or lapsed users.”

Over the past five years, the gum category has grown strongly at 7.72 per cent in Australian and New Zealand. During this period, Wrigley’s total Extra Gum has grown 1.64 per cent, while its Extra Professional range has seen growth of 2.58 per cent, according to data from market researchers Aztec.

Wrigley said that this launch is “an Australian-first for sugarfree gum” and that the calcium fortified gum meets the Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) standard 2.10.3, a 2009 adopted revision to Australian regulation that Wrigley had long sought. In September 2006, Wrigley applied for permission from FSANZ to voluntary add calcium to ‘sugar-free’ gum, which would require an amendment of the Food Standards Code. But February 2009 saw the Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council questioning the merits of such fortification on the ground of public health and safety concerns. However, FSANZ, in endorsing the application in July 2009, concluded that such health concerns were without foundation, and the regulator flagged up the potential dental benefits of the mineral enriched gum for consumers. Under the FSANZ standard 2.10.3, calcium can only be added to chewing gum containing no more than 0.2 per cent residual sugars. The regulation also states that a calcium claim for a gum product can only be made if the chewing gum contains no less than 80 mg (10 per cent of the RDI) of releasable calcium per serve; and the maximum quantity claimed is no more than 200 mg (25 per cent of the RDI) of releasable calcium per serve.

Datamonitor research shows that interest in calcium fortified food and beverage is highest among consumers in Western countries – particularly among older consumers. Shoppers in Australia, the US and European countries such as Italy and Sweden have shown either an interest in or actively buy calcium-fortified products, reports the market research group.

FSANZ says that to achieve the RDI of 800mg of calcium, Australian adults should be consuming daily 2 to 3 servings of foods rich in the mineral such as milk and dairy products, leafy green vegetables, fish, nuts and seeds.

Wrigley points out that as part of the launch, it will initiate a healthcare professional outreach programme to drive awareness of the fortified gum with consumers.