Pür gum

Pür gum is a Canadian chewing-gum brand produced by The PUR Company Inc., a company founded in Toronto in 2010 by Jay Klein. The brand was created around a simple product proposition: chewing gum that is sugar-free and does not use aspartame. Its formulations are marketed as vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free, with xylitol used as the principal sweetener. This positioning places Pür within the better-for-you and dietary-sensitivity segment of confectionery, appealing to consumers seeking alternatives to conventional sugar-sweetened gum and to people who prefer to avoid artificial sweeteners. Klein initially developed and sold the product in the Greater Toronto Area. Early distribution relied on direct outreach and small-scale retail development, including door-to-door selling and efforts to build awareness in health-oriented communities. The company subsequently expanded into other Canadian markets and major U.S. metropolitan areas, particularly locations with established natural-food and wellness retail ecosystems. Airport duty-free distribution became an important route to international exposure: travelers encountered the product in transit, helping the company extend its reach beyond its initial North American base. The brand’s international presence grew progressively from a small number of markets to more than 25 and later to more than 50 countries. Pür’s marketing emphasizes the exclusion of aspartame and uses the slogan “Kick Aspartame.” The brand also highlights the use of xylitol and the absence of sugar, although xylitol presents a serious poisoning hazard if products are consumed by dogs or other pets. That issue is associated with the ingredient category generally rather than with a product defect unique to Pür, but veterinary and food-safety sources have warned that xylitol-containing gum can cause potentially fatal hypoglycemia in dogs. Consumers therefore need to keep the products away from pets. The company broadened its portfolio beyond its original core gum formats. Standard Pür gum is sold in flavors such as spearmint, peppermint, bubblegum, cinnamon, wintergreen, cool mint, chocolate mint, and pomegranate mint, with both multi-piece bags and smaller blister packs. The company later introduced larger-format JUMBO gum, child-oriented and fruit-focused flavors, and JUMBO SOURZ products with a sour flavor profile. It also expanded into breath mints in flavors including spearmint, peppermint, tangerine tango, cinnamon, and polar mint. Manufacturing is conducted in Europe, including Switzerland, Germany, and Turkey, while the company distributes in Canada and sells through international retail and online channels, including Amazon. Pür gained broader public attention through its 2014 appearance on CBC’s business-investment program Dragon’s Den. The company sought a $1 million investment for 10 percent equity and accepted an on-air offer from Jim Treliving and Arlene Dickinson. In 2016, The PUR Company was listed by PROFIT 500 as one of Canada’s fastest-growing companies, ranking tenth overall and fourth among Toronto companies; the ranking was based on reported five-year revenue growth of 5,496 percent. More recent company and industry references describe continued expansion in North America and international distribution. Circana data cited for 2025 identified Pür as the fastest-growing U.S. gum brand among brands selling more than one million units. In the same year, its JUMBO SOURZ line received recognition as an innovative new product at the Sweets & Snacks Expo. The brand remains focused on sugar-free gum, larger-format and sour products, and complementary breath mints.

The PUR Company was established in Toronto in 2010 by Jay Klein, an American-born York University graduate whose studies included communications and political science. Klein set out to create chewing gum that omitted sugar, aspartame, gluten, soy, nuts, and other ingredients associated with consumer concerns about artificial additives and dietary sensitivities. The resulting product used xylitol as its principal sweetener and was promoted as sugar-free, aspartame-free, vegan, and non-GMO. The company’s first commercial efforts concentrated on the Greater Toronto Area. Klein used direct selling and grassroots distribution to introduce the product, including door-to-door outreach and efforts to establish the gum in health-conscious communities. The company then expanded through Canada and into major U.S. metropolitan areas, with particular attention to markets where natural and wellness products already had retail support. Airport duty-free stores became an important channel in the brand’s international development. Exposure to travelers helped the product spread beyond its original markets and contributed to a progression from distribution in a few countries to more than 25 markets and eventually more than 50 countries. Products are distributed in Canada and sold through physical and online retail, including Amazon. Manufacturing is carried out in Europe, with reference material identifying facilities or production locations in Switzerland, Germany, and Turkey. A major public milestone came in 2014, when The PUR Company appeared on CBC’s Dragon’s Den. It requested $1 million for a 10 percent stake, implying a $10 million valuation, and accepted an offer from Jim Treliving and Arlene Dickinson. In 2016, the company received recognition in the PROFIT 500 ranking, placing tenth among Canadian companies and fourth among Toronto companies, based on reported five-year revenue growth of 5,496 percent. The portfolio subsequently expanded from conventional gum into larger-format JUMBO pieces, sour-flavored JUMBO SOURZ products, and breath mints. Core gum flavors include mint, fruit, cinnamon, bubblegum, and chocolate-mint variants. The brand continues to differentiate itself through the absence of sugar and aspartame, while also promoting dietary attributes such as vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free formulations. The xylitol-based formula has also prompted veterinary warnings because xylitol can be highly toxic to dogs if accidentally ingested; this is an ingredient-safety concern requiring careful storage rather than a reported product recall. In 2025, reference material described Pür as a category innovator for its JUMBO SOURZ line and cited Circana data identifying it as the fastest-growing U.S. gum brand among brands with more than one million units sold. These developments indicate that the company’s growth strategy continues to combine functional or ingredient-based positioning with new formats, flavors, and expanded international distribution.

• 2025

  JUMBO SOURZ receives product recognition

  [1]PÜR Gumen.wikipedia.org

  Pür's JUMBO SOURZ line was recognized in the Sweets & Snacks Expo's Most Innovative New Product Awards.

• 2016

  PROFIT 500 recognition

  [1]PÜR Gumen.wikipedia.org

  The company ranked tenth in Canada and fourth in Toronto in the PROFIT 500 ranking, based on reported five-year revenue growth.

• 2014

  Dragon's Den appearance

  [1]PÜR Gumen.wikipedia.org

  The company sought investment on CBC's Dragon's Den and accepted an offer from Jim Treliving and Arlene Dickinson.

• 2010

  The PUR Company is founded in Toronto

  [1]PÜR Gumen.wikipedia.org

  Jay Klein founded The PUR Company and developed Pür gum around a sugar-free, aspartame-free, xylitol-sweetened formulation.

A better-for-you confectionery brand centered on sugar-free, aspartame-free, xylitol-sweetened gum and mints, with vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free positioning.

• Chewing gum

  Core Pür Gum

  The core line consists of sugar-free, aspartame-free chewing gum sweetened with xylitol. Reported flavors include spearmint, peppermint, bubblegum, cinnamon, wintergreen, cool mint, chocolate mint, and pomegranate mint. The line is sold in formats including 55-count bags and nine-count blister packs and is marketed with vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free attributes.

• Large-format chewing gum

  Pür JUMBO Gum

  JUMBO is a larger piece of chewing gum designed to provide a substantially bigger format than the brand's standard pieces. Available flavors include bubblegum, grape, watermelon, strawberry, banana, and orange. The product extends Pür's ingredient-led proposition into a more playful, fruit-oriented format.

• Sour chewing gum · 2025

  Pür JUMBO SOURZ

  JUMBO SOURZ is a sour-flavored extension of the larger-format gum line. Reference material lists blue raspberry, watermelon, strawberry, and grape varieties. The line was highlighted as an innovative new product at the Sweets & Snacks Expo in 2025.

• Breath mints

  Pür Breath Mints

  Pür's mint portfolio has expanded beyond chewing gum into breath mints. Reported flavors include spearmint, peppermint, tangerine tango, cinnamon, and polar mint. The products extend the brand's sugar-free and aspartame-free positioning into a portable breath-freshening format.

• Kick Aspartame

  Canada · United States · International markets

  Pür uses the slogan “Kick Aspartame” to make the absence of aspartame a central part of its brand communication and to distinguish its products from many conventional sugar-free gums.

  Outcome. The slogan supports the brand's ingredient-focused, better-for-you positioning.

  Source

• 2014

  Accept investment offer on Dragon's DenM&A

  Background

  The PUR Company appeared on CBC's Dragon's Den seeking $1 million for a 10 percent equity stake.

  Action taken

  Jay Klein accepted an on-air offer from Jim Treliving and Arlene Dickinson.

  Aftermath

  The appearance increased the company's public visibility and marked a significant financing and exposure milestone.

  Requested investment. $1 million requested for 10% equity (2014)

  Source

• 2010

  Build the brand around xylitol and aspartame avoidanceStrategy

  Background

  Klein sought to develop a gum for consumers avoiding sugar, aspartame, and selected allergens or dietary triggers.

  Action taken

  The company used xylitol as a sweetener and promoted the resulting gum as sugar-free, aspartame-free, vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free.

  Aftermath

  The ingredient proposition became the foundation of Pür's product positioning and subsequent marketing.

  Source

• Expand into larger-format gum and breath mintsProduct launch

  Background

  After establishing its core sugar-free gum, the company sought to broaden its confectionery portfolio and reach additional usage occasions.

  Action taken

  Pür introduced JUMBO gum, JUMBO SOURZ products, and breath mints alongside its core chewing-gum range.

  Aftermath

  The expanded portfolio gave the brand additional fruit, sour, and breath-freshening formats while retaining its ingredient-based positioning.

  Source

1. 1PÜR Gumen.wikipedia.org