LOS ANGELES — Amid shifts in the gum industry, a bit of Americana might be going away — the colorful gum balls once sold for a penny from machines at drugstores, arcades and supermarkets.
The main problem with the classic, round gum balls is that although they’re available in many flavors and colors, almost all of them have one thing in common — a heavy dose of sugar. And at a time when child obesity has become a prime national concern, this product has come in for a drubbing.
“More gum-ball operators are finding it harder to make a living,” said Spencer Williams, president of , an Irvine, Calif., gum, candy and vending-machine wholesaler.
The struggles in the gum-ball business mirror the challenges facing the entire chewing-gum industry. The amount of all gum sold in the U.S. was expected to be static in 2011 compared with the previous year, according to a September report from research group Euromonitor International. Overall revenue was expected to rise slightly.
Many gum-ball machines aren’t even being used for gum balls anymore.
Williams said about 45 percent of the gum-ball machines operated by his clients now dispense small toys.
