A continuous coating process for chewing gum and bubble gum materials. Small cores or pieces of gum material (20) are introduced into inclined rotating drums (34, 34') in which heated air (52) is circulated and a coating agent (50) is applied (liquid or powder). The coating material is dried on the pieces of material, and a plurality of thin layers are formed on each of the cores or small pieces of material. A series of rotating drums can be provided to provide the requisite number or thickness of coating layers. In an alternate embodiment, initial coatings of material can be provided on the cores by a batch-type process before the materials are introduced into the continuous coating drums. The formulas for the coating solution can also be adjusted at different stages of the coating process in order to provide a more consistent and uniform coating. |