<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"According to the Associated Press, Americans are not chewing as much gum as they used to. Mondelez, the parent company of such iconic gum brands as Trident and Chiclets and the number two gum producer behind Wrigley&amp;#039;s, reported first-quarter earnings that reflect a decline on the U.S. gum market.   More From Delish: A Walk Down Memory Lane: 10 Nostalgic Candies We Loved Since 2010, Gum chewing is down 6 percent, reports the Associated Press, dipping to $4.04 billion in sales last year. But Mondelez is hoping that will turn around. As reported, CEO Irene Rosenfeld said the company plans to improve its gum sales by &amp;quot;underscoring the oral care benefits of gum&amp;quot; using targeted and &amp;quot;hard-hitting&amp;quot; advertisements. Rosenfeld also stated to industry analysts that recent sales were improving due to the introduction of new package sizes and prices. More From Delish: Wrigley to Launch Caffeinated Gum Gum chewing first began in the U.S. back in the 1800s when colonists were taught by native Americans that chewing resin from tree bark would quench their thirst. According to Wrigley.com, soon after spruce gum became America&amp;#039;s first commercially sold gum product. Eventually chewing gum was marketed as a product for jaw exercise and gum stimulation by an Ohio dentist and in 1869, the first gum patent was awarded to William F. Semple. Have you stopped chewing gum? Find more great food content on Delish:   Search for the perfect recipe from our homepage Find out the latest food news Get a recipe book to save your favorite dishes Sign up for our free newsletters Check us out on Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter  "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.delish.com/food/news/a39322/gum-sales-on-the-decline/>