Whitened tobacco composition

摘要

A method of preparing a whitened tobacco material is provided, the method including the steps of (i) extracting a tobacco material with an aqueous solution to give a tobacco pulp and a tobacco extract; (ii) treating the tobacco pulp with at least one of a caustic reagent and an oxidizing agent for a time and at a temperature sufficient to lighten the color of the tobacco pulp to give a whitened tobacco pulp; (iii) clarifying the tobacco extract to remove higher molecular weight components; and (iv) combining the whitened tobacco pulp with a clarified tobacco extract to form a whitened tobacco material. The whitened tobacco material can be isolated and incorporated into a smokeless tobacco product. The invention also provides a smokeless tobacco product incorporating a whitened tobacco material. The smokeless tobacco product may be a snus-type formulation contained within a sealed pouch.

主权项

1. A smokeless tobacco product comprising a whitened tobacco composition comprising a clarified tobacco extract carried by a whitened tobacco pulp, wherein the clarified tobacco extract is characterized by one or more of the following: (a) a tobacco-specific nitrosamine content of about 150 ng/g or less; (b) a benzo[a]pyrene content of about 1 ng/g or less; and (c) not comprising any components having a molecular weight greater than about 1000 Da, further comprising a water-permeable pouch containing the whitened tobacco composition.