Hmmm... It seems I am pretty much alone in swallowing chewing gum, which I do purely because spitting it out seems rather unhygenic. So, the argument that it isn't food because you don't swallow it is obviously wrong.

I don't know what the nutritional content of gum is, but I think there's sugar in there, and probably fat, which puts it above rice cakes. As rice cakes are food (albeit bland and unappatiseing food), gum fits that definition, too.

So, in conclusion, gum is obviously food.

winter"QED"mute