New gum claims to contain dose of nutrients

Could fulfilling your daily vitamin intake really be as easy as chewing a stick of gum?

Kraft, the maker of Trident Sugar-Free gum, has announced that it will soon launch Vitality, a new line of "functional" gum, infused with vitamin C, ginseng and white tea.

The company claims that its "Vigorate" (citrus/strawberry) flavor contains 10 percent of the recommended daily intake of vitamin C. The two other flavors are "Rejuve" (mint and white tea) and "Awaken" (peppermint and ginseng). Suggested retail price for a pack of 9 is $1.29.

Vitality will hit US shelves in January 2011, and be available nationwide in February. A Trident spokeswoman said on December 9 that there is currently no timeline for an international launch.

The vague flavor names and health claims recall two other existing brands - Wrigley's 5 and VitaBall Inc.'s Vitamingum.

Wrigley's 5 brand's newest flavor is called "Prism" (described as electric watermelon), and was launched this past summer. Other flavors include Zing (sour to sweet bubble) and Lush (crisp tropical). Price for a pack of 15 is $1.49.

VitaBall Inc.'s patented nutritional Vitamingum comes in Elemental (peppermint ice), Traction 50 (grape pomegranate) and Complete (raspberry lemonade). All claim to contain a powerful dose of Vitamin D and Vitamin B. A pack of 12 costs approximately $1.99.

Danish chewing gum manufacturer Gumlink launched a vitamin A-packed chewing gum in Nairobi aimed at fighting malnutrition among children in 2009.

According to Euromonitor International, Trident is the best-selling sugar free gum in the world.