September 2020 - Marché

What is a piece of gum? It can’t be eaten like traditional snacks or candy, even though it’s definitely edible. It can be chewed at any time of the day, but there are many places where it isn’t allowed. One thing is true: it’s been around for a really long time. In fact, humans have been chewing it in one form or another for over 10,000 years.

The oldest known sample—a 5,000-year-old piece of chewing gum made from bark tar that had tooth imprints in it—was found in Kierikki, Finland by a British archaeology student in 2007. Bark tar from the birch tree was used as an antiseptic and chewed to treat oral gum infections by the Neolithic people located in present day Scandinavia.

It’s also been found in other cultures around the world. Here are a few interesting facts about the history of chewing gum:

Mastiche, chewed by the Greeks, is the sap from the mastiche tree.
Tsiclte, chewed by the ancient Mayans, is the sap from the sapodilla tree.
Spruce sap was chewed by Native Americans from New England.
“The State of Maine Pure Spruce Gum”, the first commercially produced gum, was sold by John B. Curtis, an American businessman, in 1848.
Around 1850, gum made from paraffin wax surpassed spruce gum in popularity.
The first chewing gum patent was filed on December 28, 1869 by William Semple.

Today, chewing gum come in many shapes and flavors with over 45 brands, and even more flavors, of gum available in the U.S. According to a survey done by the National Consumer Survey (NCS) in 2018, about 175 million people in the U.S. used chewing gum. in 2020, the U.S. gum market is projected to account for over 27 percent of the global chewing gum market.

There are two primary types of chewing gum: functional chewing gum (gum with a purpose) and bubble gum (the gum New York City residents chew for fun). Bubble gum is designed to inflate or create bubbles whereas functional chewing gum has a specific purpose such as oral health and weight management (curb cravings and improve digestion). Studies also show chewing gum also helps improve memory, reduce stress, and increase alertness.

Whether New York City employees chew gum for enjoyment, to freshen their breath, or for a memory boost, access to gum is important for many individuals especially throughout their workday. Employers can make it easier to purchase gum and encourage employees to stay on-site during the workday by including gum with the snacks and candy in the break room vending machines or micro-market.

Employees who go off-site for snacks, fresh food, and coffee tend to take longer breaks. Not only does individual output go down, but overall productivity also decreases. Designing a break room menu that includes a mix of traditional and healthy snacks, fresh food, and all types of beverages is a benefit that often has a higher value to employees than its actual cost to the employer.

Marché can help your New York City business create a customized menu that is appealing to everyone. For more information about our micro-market, vending, and office coffee services, please contact us at 833-627-2431.

Healthy employees are likely to be more engaged and productive at work. Given the extra stress everyone is experiencing today, and the negative impact stress can have on health, New York City employers have an opportunity to offer their employees an extra benefit—healthy snacks and beverages in the break room. An extra bonus for employers is that this benefit delivers bigger returns than the upfront costs.

An important vitamin that is found in many healthy options is vitamin C. While most individuals think only of the common cold when vitamin C is mentioned, vitamin C offers many other health benefits. As with other antioxidants, vitamin C protects the body’s cells against the effects of free radicals, which play a role in combating heart disease and cancer.

Recent research also found that consuming vitamin C can help maintain muscle mass as a person ages, something that all New York City employees should be aware of. According to the results, Dr. Richard Hayhoe from the University of East Anglia (UEA)’s Norwich Medical School explained, “people with the highest amounts of vitamin C in their diet or blood had the greatest estimated skeletal muscle mass, compared to those with the lowest amounts.” For an average adult, the current daily value recommendation for vitamin C is 90 mg.

So which foods contain the most vitamin C?

While kale ranks at the top for vitamin C as well as for many other nutrients, let’s take a look at some other popular fruits and vegetables that also have a good amount of vitamin C. (Side note: yes, tomatoes and avocados are technically fruits, but for this list, let’s place them with the vegetables.)

Fruits (per 100 g)

Kiwi = 93 mg
Papaya = 61 mg
Strawberries = 59 mg
Oranges = 53 mg
Pineapple = 48 mg
Cantaloupe = 37
Mango = 36 mg
Apricots = 10 mg

Vegetables (per 100 g)

Red bell pepper = 128 mg
Green bell pepper = 80 mg
Broccoli = 89 mg
Snow peas = 60 mg
Peas = 40 mg
Snap beans = 12 mg
Tomatoes = 14 mg
Avocado = 10 mg

While it may seem that many of the fruits and vegetables listed above wouldn’t be found in the break room, think again. Fresh food options such as fruit salads, whole pieces of fruit, green salads with a variety of vegetables, sandwiches topped with tomatoes, and fruit/vegetables juices are readily available in micro-markets and fresh food and beverage vending machines. Many prepackaged products including granola bars, breakfast cereals, protein bars, and even some salty snacks contain vitamin C. The key is to read the nutrition label. Vitamin C may be hiding in a place you don’t expect to find it.

Can your New York City employees find the healthy fresh foods, snacks, and beverages they want when they visit your break room? If not, call Marché at 833-627-2431 to learn more about our healthy break room options.

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