Orbit (gum)
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Orbit is a brand of sugarless chewing gum from the Wrigley Company. In the United States, where it was re-launched in 2001,¹ it is sold in cardboard boxes with 14 individually-wrapped pieces of gum per package. In the UK, where it was launched in 1977,² it was sold as a traditional long-stick gum. Wrigley's have recently introduced the 14 package (as in America) in the UK. In Canada, Orbit is sold as Extra, and is different from the American version.

Orbit White, packaged in blister packs of 12 pieces, was released to compete with Cadbury Adams's Trident White gum in 2001. Orbit White was sold in Canada as Freedent Total and now as Excel White.³

In North America, Orbit television ads feature English actress Vanessa Branch.

In late 2007, Orbit sugar-free gum was granted the American Dental Association's seal of approval based on its ability to improve oral health.

History

Orbit was launched in 1944 in the United States as a replacement brand by Wrigley due to rationing of gum-making ingredients in World War II. The ingredient list of Orbit gum during the Second World War was gum base, sugar, corn syrup, softeners, and artificial fruit flavors. The back of each stick was imprinted "NOTE: All our prewar materials have been used up so there is no more WRIGLEY'S SPEARMINT -DOUBLEMINT or "JUICY FRUIT" being made. ORBIT is the best gum we can make now-it is pure and wholesome but not quite good enough to carry the WRIGLEY label. You may still get WRIGLEY brands but they will be older than ORBIT." After the end of the war, Wrigley would discontinue the brand to re-focus on their signature brands.

The gum reappeared in the US in the 1977 as the first sugarfree chewing gum from the Wrigley Company before launching Extra gum. It was again relaunched in 2001.

Name

The name "Orbit" derives from the sorbitol that sweetens it. It contains about 1.32 grams per stick of sorbitol.

Flavors

The following is an incomplete list of the various types of Orbit gum:

• Cherry Mint has been discontinued by the Wrigley company.

References