Method for manufacturing tobacco raw material, and tobacco raw material

Abstract

Provided is a tobacco raw material having a low content of specified polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and low-molecular carboxylic acids and containing a large amount of specified flavor components, and a method for manufacturing the tobacco raw material. The objective is achieved with a manufacturing method including: a step for drying pre-deribbing leaf tobacco after harvesting until the moisture content thereof reaches 10-25 wt %; a step for smoke-processing the pre-deribbing dried tobacco using thermally decomposed smoke at 400-500° C.; and a step for, after the smoke-processing step, storing the pre-deribbing smoke-processed leaf tobacco under partially sealed conditions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for manufacturing a tobacco material, comprising the steps of:
 drying a post-harvest unstripped leaf tobacco to a moisture content of 10 to 25 wt %;   subjecting the dried unstripped leaf tobacco to a smoke treatment with a smoke provided by pyrolysis of a smoke-producing material in a material temperature range of 400° C. to 500° C.; and,   subsequent to the smoke treatment step, storing the smoke-treated unstripped leaf tobacco under a semi-sealed condition.   
     
     
         2 . The method for manufacturing a tobacco material according to  claim 1 , wherein the drying of the post-harvest unstripped leaf tobacco is carried out to a moisture content thereof of 15 to 20 wt %. 
     
     
         3 . The method for manufacturing a tobacco material according to  claim 1 , wherein the storing step is carried out at room temperature for a duration of at least 3 months but less than 24 months. 
     
     
         4 . The method for manufacturing a tobacco material according to  claim 1 , wherein the tobacco material yielded by the manufacturing method has a constitution according to the following (1) to (4):
 (1) a benzo[a]pyrene content is not more than 100 ng/g based on the dry weight of the tobacco material;   (2) an acetic acid content is not more than 20 mg/g based on the dry weight of the tobacco material;   (3) a guaiacol content is 5 to 5,000 μg/g based on the dry weight of the tobacco material; and   (4) a 2,6-dimethoxyphenol content is 10 to 10,000 μg/g based on the dry weight of the tobacco material.   
     
     
         5 . A tobacco material constituted of a leaf tobacco that has not been subjected to a lamina/stem separation process, wherein the tobacco material has a constitution according to the following (1) to (4):
 (1) a benzo[a]pyrene content is not more than 100 ng/g based on the dry weight of the tobacco material;   (2) an acetic acid content is not more than 20 mg/g based on the dry weight of the tobacco material;   (3) a guaiacol content is 5 to 5,000 μg/g based on the dry weight of the tobacco material; and   (4) a 2,6-dimethoxyphenol content is 10 to 10,000 μg/g based on the dry weight of the tobacco material.   
     
     
         6 . A tobacco product comprising the tobacco material according to  claim 5 . 
     
     
         7 . The tobacco product according to  claim 6 , which is a cigarette or a heating flavor inhaler.