![Mars Wrigley employee Tammy Steffek folds over a sheeting of Extra gum pellets at the company's innovation lab Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2024, in Chicago.](https://imagenes.elpais.com/resizer/v2/AKITLRR3U5CYFOONKFYAIBBA4Q.jpg?auth=c7fa1a697d1fc89ad80820dbf6fe2e2987d97e2a84ba97fa35ea4e6b54dce7f5&width=414&height=233&smart=true)
Candy companies pitch gum as a stress reliever and concentration aid to revive stale US sales
AP|
U.S. chewing gum sales rose less than 1% to 1.2 billion units, which was still 32% fewer than in 2018. Although sales in dollars are back to pre-pandemic levels, that’s mostly due to inflation