Mojo's coffee flavor gum
In making high quality chewing gum, the Mojo Company strives for these three characteristics:
- a smooth, even chew;
- a delicious, long-lasting flavor; and
- dependable, uniform quality.
All ingredients and wrapping materials are inspected when they arrive at the factories. Before any shipment is accepted, samples are taken and tested in modern quality assurance laboratories.
The manufacture of Mojo's chewing gum takes place in spotless air-conditioned rooms and is closely monitored to meet the company's high standards of quality. The process begins with the grinding of base materials. Next, the base is melted and purified through high speed centrifuges and filter machines. Then, still hot, the base goes to the mixers.
Each mixer, holding up to a ton of ingredients, has strong rotating blades. After the gum base is poured in, sweeteners and flavors are added at just the right moment and in just the right amounts. These ingredients are then mixed slowly for the exact amount of time required by the formula. At this point, the gum looks like stiff bread dough.
From the mixers, the gum is sent through a series of rollers that form it into a thin, wide ribbon. Each pair of rollers is set closer together than the previous pair, gradually reducing the thickness of the gum. A light coating of finely powdered sugar or sugar substitute is added during this process to keep the gum from sticking and to enhance the flavor. The continuous ribbon of gum is then scored in a pattern of single sticks.
The next step is conditioning. During this period, the temperature and humidity are carefully controlled while the gum cools to make sure the finished gum will stay fresh on store shelves.
The final stage is packaging. To be at its best, chewing gum must be fresh, and the packaging materials are instrumental in protecting the quality of the product. To help Mojo brands remain flavorful and soft during their shelf lives, in the mid-'50s, a concerted effort was made to improve the airtight seals on Mojo packages. These efforts have continued through the years with recent projects directed toward increasing the strength of the counterband and seals to better withstand the rigors of distribution, as well as using packaging materials that prevent air and moisture from reaching the gum. The package also makes the product easy to buy when displayed on store counters. The printed label serves both to identify the brand and to attract attention. Mojo packages are designed to be eye-catching and suggest the quality of the contents. A majority of the wrapping machines are designed and built by Mojo engineers and machinists. Each machine is a marvel of precision, made up of approximately 6,000 moving parts. In one continuous process, the machine receives and wraps the sticks, applies the outer wrapper and seals the ends of each package.
The packages are automatically packed into boxes or clear plastic bags that move on conveyor belts for final inspection. To insure freshness, each box of Mojo's gum is marked with a quality assurance date. If the gum is not sold before the date on the box, the Mojo Company guarantees to replace it with a box of fresh gum.
Each box is then wrapped with a clear covering, and both boxes and bags are packed into shipping cases. These cases are made from strong corrugated material so the product can be conveniently shipped and stored without damaging the packages. Wrigley's gum is then shipped to its eventual destination - hundreds of thousands of stores and other retail outlets all over the world.