Fire-Cured Tobacco Extract and Tobacco Products Made Therefrom

Abstract

The invention provides a tobacco product including a flavorful tobacco composition in the form of an extract of a fire-cured tobacco material. Exemplary tobacco products include smoking articles, smokeless tobacco compositions, and aerosol-generating devices that do not burn tobacco. The invention also provides a process for preparing a smokeless tobacco composition, the method including: mixing a fire-cured tobacco material having a first benzo[a]pyrene concentration with water to produce an aqueous slurry; maintaining the slurry for a time and at a temperature sufficient to form a fire-cured tobacco extract, the aqueous fire-cured tobacco extract exhibiting a second benzo[a]pyrene concentration lower than the first benzo[a]pyrene concentration; separating the aqueous fire-cured tobacco extract from a residual pulp material, and mixing the aqueous fire-cured tobacco extract with a tobacco or non-tobacco plant material to form a smokeless tobacco composition.

1 . A tobacco product comprising a flavorful tobacco composition in the form of an extract of a fire-cured tobacco material. 
     
     
         2 . The tobacco product of  claim 1 , wherein the flavorful tobacco composition is an aqueous extract of a fire-cured tobacco material. 
     
     
         3 . The tobacco product of  claim 1 , wherein the flavorful tobacco composition has distinctive sensory characteristics associated with fire-cured tobacco and a reduced benzo[a]pyrene concentration as compared to an unextracted fire-cured tobacco material. 
     
     
         4 . The tobacco product of  claim 3 , wherein the concentration of benzo[a]pyrene in the extract of a fire-cured tobacco material is no more than about 10 ppb. 
     
     
         5 . The tobacco product of  claim 4 , wherein the concentration of benzo[a]pyrene in the extract of a fire-cured tobacco material is no more than about 5 ppb. 
     
     
         6 . The tobacco product of  claim 1 , further comprising a tobacco material or a non-tobacco plant material as a carrier for the extract of a fire-cured tobacco material. 
     
     
         7 . The tobacco product of  claim 1 , wherein the tobacco product is in the form of a smokeless tobacco composition. 
     
     
         8 . The tobacco product of  claim 7 , wherein the form of the smokeless tobacco composition is selected from the group consisting of moist snuff, dry snuff, chewing tobacco, tobacco-containing gums, and dissolvable or meltable tobacco products. 
     
     
         9 . The tobacco product of  claim 1 , wherein the tobacco product is in the form of a smoking article. 
     
     
         10 . The tobacco product of  claim 1 , wherein the tobacco product is in the form of an aerosol-generating device configured for non-combustion of plant material. 
     
     
         11 . The tobacco product of  claim 1 , wherein the extract of a fire-cured tobacco material is in combination with a fire-cured tobacco extracted pulp pre-treated to reduce benzo[a]pyrene concentration. 
     
     
         12 . A method of producing a flavorful tobacco composition for use in a tobacco product, the flavorful tobacco composition characterized by sensory attributes associated with a cured tobacco material and a reduced benzo[a]pyrene concentration, comprising:
 mixing a cured tobacco material having a first benzo[a]pyrene concentration with a polar protic solvent to produce a slurry, the slurry providing intimate contact between the cured tobacco material and the polar protic solvent;   maintaining the slurry for a time and at a temperature sufficient to form an extract comprising components of the cured tobacco material soluble in the polar protic solvent, the extract exhibiting a second benzo[a]pyrene concentration lower than the first benzo[a]pyrene concentration; and   separating the extract from a residual pulp material comprising components of the cured tobacco material that are insoluble in the polar protic solvent.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising introducing the separated extract into a tobacco product as a flavorful tobacco composition. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the separated extract is applied to a tobacco material or non-tobacco plant material to form a treated material, and wherein the treated material is incorporated into the tobacco product. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the tobacco product is selected form the group consisting of smoking articles, smokeless tobacco products, and aerosol-generating devices configured for non-combustion of plant material. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the tobacco product is a smokeless tobacco composition selected from the group consisting of moist snuff, dry snuff, chewing tobacco, tobacco-containing gums, and dissolvable or meltable tobacco products. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising the step of concentrating the separated extract by removing at least a portion of the polar protic solvent. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the cured tobacco material is a fire-cured tobacco material. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the separated extract is characterized by sensory attributes associated with fire-cured tobacco material. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the first benzo[a]pyrene concentration is at least about 100 ppb and the second benzo[a]pyrene concentration is less than about 10 ppb. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the polar protic solvent is water or a co-solvent mixture comprising water. 
     
     
         22 . A process for preparing a composition suitable for use as a smokeless tobacco composition, comprising:
 mixing a fire-cured tobacco material having a first benzo[a]pyrene concentration with water to produce an aqueous slurry, the slurry providing intimate contact between the fire-cured tobacco material and the water;   maintaining the slurry for a time and at a temperature sufficient to form a fire-cured tobacco extract comprising flavorful and aromatic components of the fire-cured tobacco material soluble in water, the aqueous fire-cured tobacco extract exhibiting a second benzo[a]pyrene concentration lower than the first benzo[a]pyrene concentration; separating the aqueous fire-cured tobacco extract from a residual pulp material comprising components of the fire-cured tobacco material that are insoluble in water; and   mixing the aqueous fire-cured tobacco extract with a tobacco or non-tobacco plant material to form a smokeless tobacco composition.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the first benzo[a]pyrene concentration is at least about 100 ppb and the second benzo[a]pyrene concentration is less than about 10 ppb. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the smokeless tobacco composition is selected from the group consisting of moist snuff, dry snuff, chewing tobacco, tobacco-containing gums, and dissolvable or meltable tobacco products.