Smokeless tobacco composition comprising tobacco-derived material and non-tobacco plant material

Abstract

A smokeless tobacco product is configured for insertion into the mouth of a user and incorporates materials from Nicotiana species (e.g., tobacco-derived materials) and plant materials from non- Nicotiana species (e.g., non-tobacco plant materials). The tobacco material can have the form of processed tobacco material (e.g., granulated, reconstituted, heat treated, or otherwise processed tobacco laminae and/or stem), tobacco extract (e.g., an extract of water soluble tobacco components obtained by extracting tobacco with water), or a combination thereof. The non-tobacco material can have the form of vegetable pulp (e.g., sugar beet pulp), pulp obtained after removal of water soluble components as a result of water extraction treatment, or a combination thereof. The tobacco product is composed of a mixture of the tobacco material and non-tobacco material components; such as a mixture of tobacco material, tobacco extract and processed non-tobacco material, or a mixture of aqueous tobacco extract and water-extracted vegetable pulp.

We claim: 
     
         1 . An oral tobacco product, comprising:
 a fibrous plant material carrying a sorbed aqueous tobacco extract, the fibrous plant material being selected from the group consisting of wheat fiber, oat fiber, bamboo fiber, and combinations thereof.   
     
     
         2 . The oral tobacco product of  claim 1 , wherein the oral tobacco product is free of any tobacco material other than the sorbed aqueous tobacco extract. 
     
     
         3 . The oral tobacco product of  claim 1 , comprising 50 to 95 weight percent of the fibrous plant material, based on the total dry weight of the oral tobacco product. 
     
     
         4 . The oral tobacco product of  claim 1 , wherein the fibrous plant material carrying the sorbed aqueous tobacco extract comprise at least 50 weight percent of the total dry weight of the oral tobacco product. 
     
     
         5 . The oral tobacco product of  claim 4 , wherein the fibrous plant material carrying the sorbed aqueous tobacco extract comprise at least 70 weight percent of the total dry weight of the oral tobacco product. 
     
     
         6 . The oral tobacco product of  claim 1 , wherein the fibrous plant material is in particulate form and has an average particle size of about 0.3 to about 2 mm. 
     
     
         7 . The oral tobacco product of  claim 6 , wherein the fibrous plant material is in particulate form and has an average particle size of about 0.3 to about 1.25 mm. 
     
     
         8 . The oral tobacco product of  claim 1 , further comprising microcrystalline cellulose. 
     
     
         9 . The oral tobacco product of  claim 1 , further comprising a humectant. 
     
     
         10 . The oral tobacco product of  claim 9 , wherein the humectant is selected from the group consisting of glycerin, propylene glycol, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The oral tobacco product of  claim 1 , further comprising up to about 5 dry weight percent of one or more natural or artificial sweeteners, and up to about 5 dry weight percent of one or more salts. 
     
     
         12 . The oral tobacco product of  claim 1 , further comprising up to about 5 dry weight percent of one or more buffering agents. 
     
     
         13 . The oral tobacco product of  claim 1 , further comprising a water-permeable pouch enclosing the fibrous plant material carrying the sorbed aqueous tobacco extract. 
     
     
         14 . A pouched oral tobacco product, comprising a water-permeable pouch enclosing a composition, the composition comprising a fibrous plant material in particulate form carrying a sorbed aqueous tobacco extract, the fibrous plant material being selected from the group consisting of wheat fiber, oat fiber, bamboo fiber, and combinations thereof, the fibrous plant material having an average particle size of about 0.3 to about 2 mm, wherein the pouched oral tobacco product is free of any tobacco material other than the sorbed aqueous tobacco extract. 
     
     
         15 . The pouched oral tobacco product of  claim 14 , comprising 50 to 95 weight percent of the fibrous plant material, based on the total dry weight of the pouched oral tobacco product. 
     
     
         16 . The pouched oral tobacco product of  claim 14 , further comprising up to about 5 dry weight percent of one or more natural or artificial sweeteners, and up to about 5 dry weight percent of one or more salts. 
     
     
         17 . The pouched oral tobacco product of  claim 14 , further comprising microcrystalline cellulose. 
     
     
         18 . A pouched oral tobacco product, comprising a water-permeable pouch enclosing a composition, the composition comprising at least one sweetener, at least one salt, at least one flavorant, and a fibrous plant material in particulate form carrying a sorbed aqueous tobacco extract, the fibrous plant material being selected from the group consisting of wheat fiber, oat fiber, bamboo fiber, and combinations thereof, the fibrous plant material having an average particle size of about 0.3 to about 2 mm, wherein the fibrous plant material carrying the sorbed aqueous tobacco extract comprise at least 50 weight percent of the total dry weight of the pouched oral tobacco product, and wherein the pouched oral tobacco product is free of any tobacco material other than the sorbed aqueous tobacco extract. 
     
     
         19 . The pouched oral product of  claim 18 , wherein the pouched oral product has a pH of 6.5 to 9.0. 
     
     
         20 . The pouched oral product of  claim 18 , further comprising a humectant selected from the group consisting of glycerin, propylene glycol, and combinations thereof.