8 min.
4.4.2024
It took 472 attempts before we cracked the code
Text
Casper Hindse
Photo:
Kasper Løftgaard
Most people have a relationship with chewing gum. However, few probably give much thought to what such a piece of breath freshener actually contains.
That thought struck Peter, Morten, and Jacob one autumn evening in 2016. The three friends were sitting around a table in a Copenhagen apartment. They were determined to live healthier lives. After a well-prepared meal consisting of quality ingredients, Peter brought out a pack of chewing gum. Dessert was off-limits, but they wanted a little something extra for their palates. But the contrast became clear – why was chewing gum filled with synthetic ingredients?
– We realized that chewing gum doesn't biodegrade, because it sticks to the pavement for years, says Peter Juul Regnersgaard, more than seven years later.
The idea for a sustainable alternative quickly took shape, and they contacted product developer Zabrina Ziegler. She had just started receiving unemployment benefits after working as a product developer in the chocolate industry. Now, here were some guys offering her the chance to be part of a chewing gum adventure.
– It sounded both overambitious and yet somewhat realistic, says Zabrina Ziegler.
The four entrepreneurs turned their apartment on Ryesgade into a laboratory and dove into experiments. While some tried to sell to potential buyers, others worked in the kitchen, producing a new chewing gum using products from local health food stores.
– It took 472 attempts before we cracked the code, says Peter Juul Regnersgaard.
We weren't chewing gum nerds, but we quickly became interested in developing a new product because it could help create a better world.
Licorice flavor was the breakthrough
In February 2017, after nearly half a year of testing, the four of them were onto something.
– When there was finally a flavor we thought worked, we almost didn't dare to believe it, says Jacob Motzfeldt, explaining that the True Gum quartet immediately began to dream:
Chewing gum is a complex thing. It’s about taste, texture, and shelf life. The flavor experience must not crumble in the mouth. Everything has to taste as good as possible, otherwise, the competitors will end up in the shopping basket instead.
– We were naive enough to think we could develop chewing gum much faster than we actually could, says Jacob Motzfeldt.
The first packs were sold to small shops, but in 2018, 7-Eleven and Irma embraced the plastic-free alternative. Rather than getting carried away, they agreed that they shouldn't spread themselves too thin. They wanted to build an exclusive business. They wouldn't sell more than they could produce, and there was a focus on quality and sales. Even so, production continued by hand.
“We handled every single piece of chewing gum and understood exactly how it was made,” says Zabrina Ziegler.
In 2019, a German distributor called – the DM chain wanted True Gum in 2,000 stores. Up until then, the plastic-free chewing gum hadn't been in more than 1,000 Danish stores.
And just like that, a Danish entrepreneurial dream became an international export success.
We have needed GS1 right from the start. All our products are registered in GS1Trade Sync, and the system is both simple and easy to get help with if something unexpected comes up. We have many products, so it’s great to be able to outsource the control a little bit. That’s necessary if you want to succeed as an entrepreneur.
Sold for millions
The kitchen is a thing of the past, and the factory is now in full swing. True Gum became a sustainable success.
The company was sold in 2022. The Swedish food group Humble offered 170 million Danish kroner, just five years after the experiments in the apartment began.
“We sold True Gum because it could further our ambition. We dreamed of being a green role model when we were sitting in that kitchen in 2016, and we reached a point where we needed more muscle to make that happen,” says Peter Juul Regnersgaard.
We have needed GS1 right from the start. All our products are registered in GS1Trade Sync, and the system is both simple and easy to get help with if something unexpected comes up. We have many products, so it’s great to be able to outsource the control a little bit. That’s necessary if you want to succeed as an entrepreneur.
THE ROLE OF GS1
- True Gum uses GTINs, GLN, GS1Trade Sync, GS1Trade Exact and GS1Trade Image. GS1Trade Sync is used for both Danish and Swedish customers.
- Unique GTINs for products and cases ensure unambiguous identification throughout the supply chain.
- Product data is created in GS1Trade Sync.
- Products are sent to GS1Trade Exact for creation and/or quality assurance of product data.
- GS1Trade Image provides professional product images tailored to your needs.
