Cyanide reactive reducing sugars, such as xylose, ribose, arabinose, glyceraldehyde and erythrose, are added to a food, drug or other oral composition to detoxify cyanide. The cyanide reacive reducing sugar is added in an amount in excess of about 1 weight percent. The cyanide reactive reducing sugar may be mixed into the composition or may be applied as a coating on a solid composition. The cyanide reactive reducing sugar is one of the edible components of the gum.