Smokeless Tobacco Composition

• US 20080029110A1
• Filed: 07/23/2007
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: R J Reynolds Tobacco Company (R. J. Reynolds Tobacco)
• Original Assignee: R J Reynolds Tobacco Company (R. J. Reynolds Tobacco)
• Inventors: Dube, Michael, Holton, Darrell, Figlar, James, Cantrell, Daniel, Stokes, Cynthia, Mua, John-Paul
• Granted Patent: US 7,810,507 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 131/275
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 13/00 Tobacco for pipes, for cigars, e.g. cigar inserts, or for cigarettes; Chewing tobacco; Snuff reconstituted tobacco products A24B3/14
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 15/283 by encapsulation of the chemical substances

Abstract

A smokeless tobacco product configured for insertion into the mouth of a user of the product is provided, the tobacco product including a water-permeable pouch containing a tobacco formulation, the tobacco formulation including a tobacco material and a plurality of microcapsules dispersed within the tobacco material, the plurality of microcapsules including an outer shell encapsulating an internal payload. The internal payload may include an additive such as water, flavorants, binders, colorants, pH adjusters, buffering agents, fillers, disintegration aids, humectants, antioxidants, oral care ingredients, preservatives, additives derived from herbal or botanical sources, and mixtures thereof. Microencapsulated flavorants include tobacco-containing flavorants, such as tobacco extracts or a particulate tobacco material, sweeteners (e.g., sweeteners containing neotame), and vanillin (optionally in a complexed form).

Claims

1. A smokeless tobacco product configured for insertion into the mouth of a user of the product, the tobacco product comprising a tobacco formulation in a form suitable for insertion into the mouth of a user and at least one additive contained within the tobacco formulation, the additive being present in a form that physically separates the additive from the tobacco formulation.

2. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the additive is in an encapsulated form.

3. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the additive is selected from the group consisting of water, flavorants, binders, colorants, pH adjusters, buffering agents, fillers, disintegration aids, humectants, antioxidants, oral care ingredients, preservatives, additives derived from herbal or botanical sources, and mixtures thereof.

4. A smokeless tobacco product configured for insertion into the mouth of a user of the product, the tobacco product comprising:

a water-permeable pouch containing a tobacco formulation, the tobacco formulation comprising a tobacco material and a plurality of microcapsules dispersed within said tobacco material, the plurality of microcapsules comprising an outer shell encapsulating an internal payload.

5. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 4, wherein the payload of the microcapsules comprises water and the moisture content of the tobacco formulation prior to use is less than about 20 weight percent based on the total weight of the formulation.

6. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 5, wherein the moisture content of the tobacco formulation prior to use is less than about 15 weight percent based on the total weight of the formulation.

7. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 6, wherein the moisture content of the tobacco formulation prior to use is less than about 10 weight percent based on the total weight of the formulation.

8. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 4, wherein the payload of the microcapsules comprises a tobacco-containing flavorant.

9. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 8, wherein the tobacco-containing flavorant comprises a tobacco extract or a particulate tobacco material.

10. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 4, wherein the payload of the microcapsules comprises a sweetener.

11. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 10, wherein the sweetener comprises neotame.

12. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 4, wherein the payload of the microcapsules comprises vanillin optionally in a complexed form.

13. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 4, wherein the payload of the microcapsules comprises a flavorant that imparts a flavor selected from the group consisting of vanilla, coffee, chocolate, cream, mint, spearmint, eucalyptus, menthol, peppermint, wintergreen, lavender, cardamom, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, cascarilla, sandalwood, honey, jasmine, ginger, anise, sage, licorice, lemon, orange, apple, peach, lime, cherry, strawberry, and combinations thereof.

14. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 4, wherein the payload of the microcapsules comprises a filler material.

15. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 14, wherein the filler material comprises a vegetable fiber material.

16. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 15, wherein the filler material comprises a sugar beet fiber material.

17. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 14, wherein the microencapsulated filler material is present in an amount of at least about 5 percent based on the weight of the dry formulation.

18. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 4, wherein the payload of the microcapsules comprises a buffering agent.

19. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 18, wherein the buffering agent buffers within a pH range of about 6 to about 10.

20. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 18, wherein the buffering agent is selected from the group consisting of metal hydroxides, metal carbonates, and metal bicarbonates.

21. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 18, wherein the microencapsulated buffering agent is present in an amount of at least about 1 percent based on the dry weight of the formulation.

22. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 4, wherein the payload of the microcapsules comprises an additive derived from an herbal or botanical source.

23. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 22, wherein the additive derived from an herbal or botanical source comprises an oil or extract from a botanical or herbal source.

24. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 23, wherein the oil or extract comprises compounds selected from the group consisting of minerals, vitamins, isoflavones, phytoesterols, allyl sulfides, dithiolthiones, isothiocyanates, indoles, lignans, flavonoids, polyphenols, and carotenoids.

25. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 4, wherein the outer shell of the microcapsules is water-soluble under conditions of at least about 45 weight percent moisture, based on the total weight of the smokeless tobacco product.

26. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 4, wherein the outer shell of the microcapsules is rupturable, such that rupture of the outer shell exposes the payload to the tobacco formulation.

27. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 4, wherein the number of microcapsules is greater than about 5.

28. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 27, wherein the number of microcapsules is greater than about 10.

29. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 28, wherein the number of microcapsules is greater than about 20.

30. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 4, wherein the microcapsules have a diameter of less than about 100 microns.

31. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 4, wherein the microcapsules have a diameter in the range of about 1 to about 40 microns.

32. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 4, wherein the pouch contains about 50 mg to about 500 mg of tobacco formulation, on a dry weight basis.

33. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 32, wherein the pouch contains about 100 mg to about 400 mg of tobacco formulation, on a dry weight basis.

34. A smokeless tobacco product configured for insertion into the mouth of a user of the product, the tobacco product comprising:

a water-permeable pouch containing a tobacco formulation, the tobacco formulation comprising a tobacco material and a plurality of microcapsules dispersed within said tobacco material, the plurality of microcapsules comprising an outer shell encapsulating an internal payload comprising a flavorant selected from a group consisting of a sweetener composition comprising neotame, a tobacco-containing flavorant, and mixtures thereof, wherein the microencapsulated flavorant is present in an amount of at least about 1 percent based on the weight of the dry tobacco formulation, and wherein the outer shell of the microcapsules is water-soluble under conditions of at least about 45 weight percent moisture, based on the total weight of the smokeless tobacco product.

35. A smokeless tobacco product configured for insertion into the mouth of a user of the product, the tobacco product comprising:

a water-permeable pouch containing a tobacco formulation, the tobacco formulation comprising a tobacco material and a plurality of microcapsules dispersed within said tobacco material, the plurality of rupturable microcapsules comprising an outer shell encapsulating an internal payload comprising water, wherein the moisture content of the tobacco formulation prior to rupture of the microcapsules is no more than about 20 weight percent based on the total weight of the smokeless tobacco product.