Smokeless oral tobacco product and preparation thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to a smokeless oral tobacco product including a tobacco material and a particulate material, the particulate material having the following properties: i) a mass median particle size measured by sieve analysis of from about 0.3 mm to about 3 mm; ii) a bulk density of less than about 0.6 g/cm 3 ; and iii) a combined starch and sugar content of less than about 7% based on the weight of the particulate material, wherein the tobacco material comprises tobacco, or a tobacco replacement or substitute.

1 . A smokeless oral tobacco product comprising a tobacco material and a particulate material, the particulate material having the following properties:
 i) a mass median particle size measured by sieve analysis of from about 0.3 mm to about 3 mm;   ii) a bulk density of less than about 0.6 g/cm 3 ; and   iii) a combined starch and sugar content of less than about 7% based on the weight of the particulate material,   wherein the tobacco material comprises tobacco, or a tobacco replacement or substitute.   
     
     
         2 . A smokeless oral tobacco product according to  claim 1 , wherein the mass median particle size measured by sieve analysis of the particulate material is from about 0.3 mm to about 1 mm. 
     
     
         3 . A smokeless oral tobacco product according to  claim 2 , wherein the mass median particle size measured by sieve analysis of the particulate material is from about 0.3 to about 0.7 mm. 
     
     
         4 . A smokeless oral tobacco product according  claim 3 , wherein the bulk density of the particulate material is less than about 0.4 g/cm 3 . 
     
     
         5 . A smokeless oral tobacco product according to  claim 4 , wherein the bulk density of the particulate material is less than about 0.26 g/cm 3 . 
     
     
         6 . A smokeless oral tobacco product according to  claim 1 , wherein the combined starch and sugar content of the particulate material is less than about 5% based on the weight of the particulate material. 
     
     
         7 . A smokeless oral tobacco product according to  claim 1 , wherein the particulate material is present in an amount of from about 1 to about 80% by weight of the total smokeless oral tobacco product. 
     
     
         8 . A smokeless oral tobacco product according to  claim 7 , wherein the particulate material is a hydrophobic material selected from the group consisting of husks or hulls of grains, materials of wood or tree origin, animal feathers, diatomaceous earth, perlite, foams, hollow particles and semispheres, aerogels, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         9 . A smokeless oral tobacco product according to  claim 8 , wherein the particulate material is a hydrophobic particulate material selected from the group consisting of cork, sawdust, millet husks, polystyrene, sodium alginate microspheres, foamed alginates, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         10 . A smokeless oral tobacco product according to  claim 9 , wherein the particulate material is cork. 
     
     
         11 . A smokeless oral tobacco product according to  claim 1 , wherein the tobacco material is or comprises tobacco. 
     
     
         12 . A smokeless oral tobacco product according to  claim 11 , wherein the tobacco comprises particulate tobacco. 
     
     
         13 . A smokeless oral tobacco product according to  claim 11 , wherein the tobacco is snus. 
     
     
         14 . A smokeless oral tobacco product according to  claim 11 , wherein the tobacco has a mass median particle size measured by sieve analysis of between about 0.01 mm and about 1.0 mm. 
     
     
         15 . A smokeless oral tobacco product according to  claim 11 , wherein the moisture content of the tobacco is at least 25% by weight of the total smokeless oral tobacco product. 
     
     
         16 . A smokeless oral tobacco product according to  claim 1 , wherein the tobacco material is or comprises a tobacco replacement or substitute. 
     
     
         17 . A smokeless oral tobacco product according to  claim 1 , wherein the nicotine content of the tobacco material is from about 0.02% to about 7.5% by weight of the tobacco material. 
     
     
         18 . A smokeless oral tobacco product according to  claim 1 , further comprising an additional component selected from flavouring agents, preservatives, binders, humectants, buffering agents, disintegration aids and colourants. 
     
     
         19 . A method of producing a smokeless oral tobacco product comprising a tobacco material and a particulate material, the particulate material having the following properties:
 i) a mass median particle size measured by sieve analysis of from about 0.3 mm to about 3 mm;   ii) a bulk density of less than about 0.6 g/cm 3 ; and   iii) a combined starch and sugar content of less than about 7% based on the weight of the particulate material,   the method comprising:
 (a) providing a tobacco material; 
 (b) processing the tobacco material; and 
 (c) adding the particulate material to the tobacco material either prior to the processing step (b), during the processing step (b) or after the processing step (b), 
   wherein the tobacco material comprises tobacco, or a tobacco replacement or substitute.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the processing step (b) comprises heat treatment. 
     
     
         21 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein water and salt are added to the tobacco material either prior to the processing step (b), during the processing step (b) or after the processing step (b). 
     
     
         22 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein an additional component selected from flavouring agents, preservatives, binders, humectants, buffering agents, disintegration aids and colourants is added to the tobacco material either prior to the processing step (b), during the processing step (b) or after the processing step (b). 
     
     
         23 . A consumer package comprising the smokeless oral tobacco product as defined by  claim 1 . 
     
     
         24 . A consumer package according to  claim 23 , wherein the consumer package is a pouch. 
     
     
         25 . Use of a particulate material according to  claim 1  for improving mouthfeel of a smokeless oral tobacco product. 
     
     
         26 . Use of a particulate material according to  claim 1  for maintaining in use structure of a smokeless oral tobacco product.