MOIST SMOKELESS TOBACCO PRODUCT WITH TEXTURED COATING

• US 20110083688A1
• Filed: 10/09/2009
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philip Morris USA Incorporated (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Philip Morris USA Incorporated (Altria Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gao, Feng, Liu, Shengsheng, Mishra, Munmaya K., Sweeney, William R., Sengupta, Tapashi
• Granted Patent: US 9,687,023 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 131/352
• 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 15/186 by coating with a coating composition, encapsulation of tobacco particles encapsulation of additives other than tobacco : A24B15/283

Abstract

A moist smokeless tobacco product for oral use comprises a pre-portioned piece of tobacco material semi-dissolvable, a super-hydrated membrane coating comprising a soluble, non-cross-linked component and an insoluble, cross-linked component, and a texture component. The tobacco material comprises moist smokeless tobacco. The texture component reduces the slipperiness and/or increases the friction of the moist smokeless tobacco product when placed in a user'"'"'s mouth.

Claims

1. A moist smokeless tobacco product for oral use comprising:

a semi-dissolvable, super-hydrated membrane coating comprising;

(a) a soluble, non-cross-linked component; and

(b) an insoluble, cross-linked component;

one or more texture components selected from the group consisting of (a) a powder component comprising powders having at least one linear dimension of about 10 mesh to about 500 mesh included within and/or on an inner and/or an outer surface of the semi-dissolvable, super-hydrated membrane coating;

(b) at least one polymer layer on an outer surface of the semi-dissolvable, super-hydrated membrane coating comprising at least one water-dissolvable coating;

(c) at least one fiber, cord and/or strip within and/or on an inner and/or an outer surface of the semi-dissolvable, super-hydrated membrane coating; and

(d) at least one pre-cross-linking agent for adding tackiness to the semi-dissolvable, super-hydrated membrane coating, and

a shaped piece of tobacco material contained within the semi-dissolvable, super-hydrated membrane coating, said tobacco material comprising moist smokeless tobacco,

wherein the one or more texture components reduce the slipperiness and/or increases the friction of the moist smokeless tobacco product when placed in a user'"'"'s mouth.

2. The moist smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein said soluble, non-cross-linked component comprises a non-cross-linkable polymer selected from the group consisting of starch, dextrin, gum arabic, guar gum, chitosan, cellulose, polyvinyl alcohol, polylactide, gelatin, soy protein, whey protein and combinations thereof.

3. The moist smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein said insoluble, cross-linked component comprises a cross-linking agent and a cross-linkable polymer selected from the group consisting of alginate, pectin, carrageenan, modified polysaccharides with cross-linkable functional groups and combinations thereof.

4. The moist smokeless tobacco product of claim 3, wherein said cross-linkable polymer is a chemically cross-linkable polymer.

5. The moist smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein (a) the semi-dissolvable, super-hydrated membrane coating and/or said tobacco material further comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of flavorants, sweeteners, preservatives, nutraceuticals, antioxidants, amino acids, minerals, vitamins, botanical extracts, humectants, colorants, chemesthetic agents and combinations thereof and (b) the tobacco material further comprises a supplemental amount of tobacco substitute material selected from the group consisting of fruit fibers and particles, vegetable fibers and particles, plant fibers and particles and combinations thereof to the tobacco material.

6. The moist smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the tobacco material is completely disintegrable in the mouth.

7. The moist smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the powder component comprises one or more of natural plant fibers, water-insoluble synthetic fibers, particles or fibers of water-insoluble hydrophilic biopolymers, unencapsulated tobacco powder, encapsulated tobacco powder, fine cut tobaccos, fibers or particles of silica, and dry flavor powders included within and/or on the inner and/or an outer surfaces of the semi-dissolvable, super-hydrated membrane coating.

8. The moist smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the powder component is included in an amount of about 0.01 g to about 5.0 g.

9. The moist smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the tobacco material comprises moist smokeless tobacco having a moisture content of about 35% to about 65%.

10. The moist smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the tobacco material comprises moist smokeless tobacco having a water activity of about 0.85 aw to about 0.86 aw.

11. The moist smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the fibers, cords and/or strips have average dimensions ranging between about 0.01 mm and about 1.0 mm.

12. The moist smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the fibers, cords and/or strips are randomly and/or uniformly oriented within, under and/or on the semi-dissolvable, super-hydrated membrane coating.

13. The moist smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the fibers, cords and/or strips are affixed to the moist smokeless tobacco product with a food-grade.

14. The moist smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the fibers, cords and/or strips comprise a material selected from the group consisting of vegetable fibers, fruit fibers, tobacco fibers, herb fibers, synthetic polymers, natural polymers, and combinations thereof.

15. The moist smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the at least one polymer layer is flavored or unflavored.

16. The moist smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the at least one polymer layer comprises at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of modified starch, dextrin, pullulan, pectin and combinations thereof.

17. The moist smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the bulk density of the super-hydrated membrane coating is about 1.0±

0.2 g/cm³.

18. The moist smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the shaped piece of tobacco material has a length of up to about 1.5 inch, a width of up to about 0.75 inch and a height of up to about 1 inch and wherein the shaped of tobacco material weighs about 0.5 g to about 3.0 g.

19. The moist smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the semi-dissolvable, super-hydrated membrane coating has a moisture content of about 10% to about 50%.

20. The moist smokeless tobacco product of claim 1, wherein the soluble, non-cross-linked component and the insoluble, cross-linked component are dissolved in water and/or tobacco juices.

21. A method of making a moist smokeless tobacco product comprising:

shaping tobacco material into a shaped piece of tobacco material;

forming a semi-dissolvable super-hydrated membrane coating comprising a soluble, non-cross-linked component; and

(b) an insoluble, cross-linked component on the shaped piece of tobacco material to form a coated piece of tobacco material; and

adding one or more texture components selected from the group consisting of (a) a powder component comprising powders having at least one linear dimension of about 10 mesh to about 500 mesh included within and/or on an inner and/or an outer surface of the semi-dissolvable, super-hydrated membrane coating;

(b) at least one polymer layer on an outer surface of the semi-dissolvable, super-hydrated membrane coating comprising at least one water-dissolvable coating;

(c) at least one fiber, cord and/or strip within and/or on an inner and/or an outer surface of the semi-dissolvable, super-hydrated membrane coating; and

(d) at least one pre-cross-linking agent for adding tackiness to the semi-dissolvable, super-hydrated membrane coating and combinations thereof to form a moist smokeless tobacco product having a textured coating.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising drying the semi-dissolvable, super-hydrated membrane coating such that as water is released from the semi-dissolvable, super-hydrated membrane coating, juices of the tobacco material enter the semi-dissolvable, super-hydrated membrane coating.