What to look for when buying mastic gum

Some mastic gum brands source from uncertified suppliers, skip secondary sorting, ship in plastic, and offer no recourse if something arrives damaged, while others half-fill tins or disappear when you try to contact them.

Buy from the wrong brand and you may write mastic off before a decent tin ever reaches you. Below is a framework for evaluating a mastic gum before you buy, so you can avoid these pitfalls and choose with confidence.

Have other questions about mastic gum? Learn more about the benefits, myths and realities, routines, and history of mastic gum on the rest of our blog.

How to tell if mastic gum is authentic

Real, authentic mastic gum comes from one place on Earth: the mastic farming villages in the south of the Greek island of Chios.

This is because, like other specialty products connected to a specific region, like Champagne or Pecorino Romano, mastic gum has Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status, meaning only the gum harvested from Chios can be legally sold as “Chios mastic gum” or “Chios mastiha.”¹

Most commonly, you will see either on the packaging or on a brand’s web store that they source from the Chios Mastiha Growers’ Association, which verifies that the mastic comes from legitimate sources on the island, has been properly cleaned, and meets quality standards.

But proper sourcing is low-hanging fruit. Plenty of brands source from Chios and still deliver inconsistent products because they skip the secondary sorting and quality-control steps that occur after import. So while PDO and Mastiha Growers’ Association sourcing are non-negotiable requirements, they’re not enough on their own.

If a brand doesn’t specify Chios origin or Mastiha Growers’ Association sourcing, you’re likely dealing with uncertified or “black market mastic” that hasn’t been properly cleaned and can even contain sticks, dirt, and bugs.

When evaluating a brand, check its website or packaging for clear sourcing information. If they won’t tell you where it comes from, that’s your answer.

What separates good mastic gum from bad?

Because mastic gum is not manufactured in a lab, and what you get is exactly what comes off the tree (after cleaning and sorting), each piece is different. Some are larger, some are smaller; some are harder, some are softer.

The major difference between good and bad mastic gum is how brands deal with this inevitable, natural variation.

• Do they lump both types of pieces together, or do they sort by type so you know exactly what you’re buying?
• Do they sell whatever mastic they receive from Chios, or do they run a secondary quality control process after it arrives?
• Do you get a grab bag of rock-hard and sticky-soft pieces in the same tin, or can you expect the same size and consistency of pieces in each tin?
• Does half of your tin turn to dust or stick to your teeth, or can you actually chew what you buy?

Most brands fall on the wrong side of every one of these questions because they receive bulk mastic from Chios and sell it exactly as it arrives without secondary sorting or quality control.

When evaluating a brand, look for any indication that they do secondary sorting or quality control either on their website or social media. If they don’t mention it, they probably aren’t doing it or are simply dropshipping their product with no relationship to the farmers or care for their customers’ experience.

Greco Gum filters for both quality and piece type once our bulk wholesale shipments hit our warehouse in the U.S., so each tin is uniform in piece type and texture, with far fewer unchewable pieces.

Red flags when buying mastic gum online

It’s pretty easy to tell from a brand’s website, reviews, and social media presence (or lack thereof) if they are worth buying from, but some red flags aren’t so obvious. Here’s exactly what to watch out for so you can find a brand worth your while.

#1. No sourcing info

If a brand’s website, packaging, or social media doesn’t explicitly mention that its mastic originates from Chios or the Mastiha Growers’ Association, click away. It could be “black market mastic” that isn’t properly cleaned.

If you’re questioning whether mastic gum is legit in the first place, see for yourself here.

#2. No mention of sorting or quality control

If a brand doesn’t mention secondary sorting or quality control, they probably don’t have it. Secondary sorting is key because a brand with high standards can spot which pieces will be too soft just by looking.

That said, even the best brands let a few sticky pieces through here and there. Learn why this happens and how to combat it.

Here’s a simple test: does the brand sell one size or two? If they’re filtering for quality, they’ll also sort by size. A brand selling both nuggets and droplets has the infrastructure for real quality control.

Learn the differences between nuggets and droplets to see which suits your needs or try both in our Start Pack.

#3. Plastic packaging and standard shipping

Most companies ship mastic gum in plastic bags using standard shipping. This creates two problems. Standard shipping leaves packages exposed to heat, which melts the mastic into a sticky blob that you can’t separate into chewable pieces.

Plastic packaging risks leaching microplastics and other harmful chemicals like BPA and phthalates into your product, especially when exposed to heat, such as during shipping.² High-quality brands use metal tins and refrigerated shipping to protect both the product and your health.

#4. No piece count or usage time estimate

Because mastic gum is expensive, you need to know exactly what you’re getting before you buy. Brands that are confident in their product are transparent about piece count, piece size, and how long each tin will last. If a brand only lists weight without providing these details, they’re hiding something.

Note that you’ll need to chew for varying timeframes depending on your goals with mastic gum. See how long to chew for each use case (e.g., jawline, gut, oral health) here.

#5. Suspicious or fake reviews

Verified reviews from real customers are worth reading. Anything less than 4 stars should concern you. Look for reviews with specific details like how long they’ve been using it, what they notice, and their routine.

Be suspicious of reviews that sound like marketing copy, and check their site or social media for public figures (especially health influencers) who co-sign a brand; their credibility is on the line if they endorse something of poor quality.

#6. No real social media presence

Having social media isn’t enough. Look at what a brand actually does with it.

• Do they provide high-value content on the beneficial properties of mastic gum?
• Do they respond to questions and concerns head-on in the comments?
• Do they show their relationship with their farmers in Chios?
• Is there founder-led content that gives you a sense of the real people behind the brand you’d be dealing with if a problem occurs?
• Do they showcase their sorting process?

Brands that are silent on all of these are probably just dropshipping, not running a real operation with actual investment in their product and customers.

#7. Poor or non-existent customer service

Test a brand’s responsiveness before you buy. Send them an email or DM with a simple question and see how long it takes to get a thoughtful reply. If they’re slow to respond or ignore you entirely, that’s a sign of what customer service will look like if something goes wrong with your order.

#8. No return or replacement policy

A good brand will clearly state its return policy upfront and acknowledge that mastic gum is a natural product (check ours here).

Customer-friendly policies signal confidence in product quality. If a brand refuses to address a legitimate complaint or offers no recourse, that’s all you need to know.

How to evaluate mastic gum before you buy

At this point, you’ve learned a lot about mastic gum, but by no means do you need to be an expert before you make a purchase. Simply verify these criteria beforehand, and you’ll end up with mastic worth your time and money:

• Sourcing (PDO certified, Chios origin, Mastiha Growers’ Association listed)
• Secondary sorting mentioned (on website or social media)
• Metal tins (not plastic bags)
• Refrigerated shipping (protects product quality)
• Exact piece count and piece size (transparency on what you’re getting)
• Estimated duration per tin (so you know the value)
• Social media engagement (responds to comments, shows farmer relationships, founder content)
• Responsive customer service (test with a quick email or DM)
• Clear return/replacement policy (stated upfront)
• Verified customer reviews (4+ stars with specific details)

Is expensive mastic gum worth it?

Mastic gum may seem much more expensive than your typical gas station gum, but the price is well worth it if it meets the above criteria.

Quality mastic gum costs more because certified sourcing, secondary sorting, metal tins, refrigerated shipping, and responsive customer service all add up, not to mention the political and geographical factors that also contribute to mastic gum’s perceived higher price.

When a brand cuts corners on any of these, you pay the price in frustration and failed results. Fully understand mastic gum’s price and see a breakdown of daily cost versus regular chewing gum here.

But before you balk at the price, know that:

• 1Cheap mastic gum isn’t actually cheaper. You’ll waste time chewing unusable pieces, dealing with unresponsive support, replacing damaged or melted packages, and seeing diminished results because half your order is inconsistent… or you just give up because it’s all so frustrating.
• 2Mastic gum is the only single-ingredient chewing gum that is truly healthy, loaded with unique compounds that benefit the gut and oral microbiomes, and hard enough to stimulate jaw growth.
• 3When you do the math, it actually shakes out to equivalent or even less than the average cost of regular chewing gum.
• 4A single tin lasts 6+ weeks with daily use.

Ready to try quality mastic gum that won’t disappoint? Explore our shop.