Wrigley to sell caffeine chewing gum

One of the world's largest chewing gum companies plans to start selling a gum next month that hashalf the caffeine content of a cup of coffee.

In April, Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. will come to market with Alert Energy Caffeine Gum, a gum for adults that the company is calling an "energy solution that gives consumers the power to control how much caffeine they get."

The gum will be sold in packages of eight pieces of either fruit- or mint-flavoured gum, and retail for about $2.99 US. In a release late Monday, the company said it will sell the gum in select markets starting next month.

Wrigley saysthe product is not recommended for children or people sensitive to caffeine.

One piece will contain 40 milligrams of caffeine, or about half the same amount as can be found in a small, six-ounce coffee.

Among other brands, Wrigley makes the Big Red, Juicy Fruit and Doublemint brands of gum.