SMOKELESS TOBACCO PASTILLE AND MOULDING PROCESS FOR FORMING SMOKELESS TOBACCO PRODUCTS

• US 20120138074A1
• Filed: 12/01/2010
• Published: 06/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2010
• 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: Cantrell, Daniel Verdin, Bratcher, Barry, Morton, Joshua D., Hume, Steven D., Boutin, Robert Frank, Hinkemeyer, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 9,775,376 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 131/275
• CPC Class Codes: A23G 3/48 containing plants or parts thereof, e.g. fruits, seeds, extracts containing gums A23G3/42
• 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 15/12 of reconstituted tobacco
• CPC Class Codes: A24B 15/30 by organic substances A24B15/281 takes precedence

Abstract

A smokeless tobacco composition configured for insertion into the mouth of a user is provided. The smokeless tobacco composition includes a tobacco material, a sugar alcohol, and a natural gum binder component, wherein the composition is in the form of a pastille. A process for preparing a smokeless tobacco composition pastille configured for insertion into the mouth of a user is also provided. The process includes providing an aqueous mixture comprising a hydrated natural gum binder component, mixing a tobacco material with the aqueous mixture to form a smokeless tobacco mixture, heating the smokeless tobacco mixture, depositing the heated smokeless tobacco mixture into a mould, and curing the smokeless tobacco mixture to form a smokeless tobacco composition pastille.

Claims

1. A smokeless tobacco composition configured for insertion into the mouth of a user, the smokeless tobacco composition comprising a tobacco material, a sugar alcohol, and a natural gum binder component, the composition being in the form of a pastille.

2. The smokeless tobacco composition of claim 1, further comprising a tobacco-derived binder component.

3. The smokeless tobacco composition of claim 2, wherein the tobacco-derived binder component comprises a tobacco-derived starch material.

4. The smokeless tobacco composition of claim 3, wherein the tobacco-derived binder component comprises at least about 50 percent starch on a dry weight basis.

5. The smokeless tobacco composition of claim 3 wherein the smokeless tobacco composition comprises about 1 weight percent to about 5 weight percent of the tobacco-derived binder component on a dry weight basis.

6. The smokeless tobacco composition of claim 1, wherein the sugar alcohol comprises sorbitol.

7. The smokeless tobacco composition of claim 1, wherein the sugar alcohol is selected from the group consisting of erythritol, arabitol, ribitol, isomalt, maltitol, dulcitol, iditol, mannitol, xylitol, lactitol, sorbitol, and combinations thereof.

8. The smokeless tobacco composition of claim 1, wherein the natural gum binder component is gum arabic.

9. The smokeless tobacco composition of claim 1, wherein the natural gum binder component is selected from the group consisting of gum arabic, xanthan gum, guar gum, ghatti gum, gum tragacanth, karaya gum, locust bean gum, gellan gum, and combinations thereof.

10. The smokeless tobacco composition of claim 1, further comprising an additive selected from the group consisting of flavorants, sweeteners, additional binders, emulsifiers, disintegration aids, humectants, buffering agents, and mixtures thereof.

11. The smokeless tobacco composition of claim 10, wherein the humectant is glycerin.

12. The smokeless tobacco composition of claim 10, wherein the sweetener comprises sucralose, sucrose, or a combinations thereof.

13. The smokeless tobacco composition of claim 10, wherein the sweetener comprises granulated sugar.

14. The smokeless tobacco composition of claim 1, wherein the tobacco material is a particulate tobacco material having an average particle size of less than about 50 microns.

15. The smokeless tobacco composition of claim 1, wherein the pastille has an outer coating coated thereon.

16. The smokeless tobacco composition of claim 1, comprising:

at least about 25 dry weight percent of tobacco material, based on the total weight of the composition;

at least about 10 dry weight percent of sugar alcohol;

at least about 15 dry weight percent of natural gum binder component;

at least about 0.5 dry weight percent of tobacco-derived binder component;

at least about 0.5 dry weight percent of at least one humectant;

at least about 0.2 dry weight percent of at least one sweetener; and

at least about 0.5 dry weight percent of at least one flavorant.

17. The smokeless tobacco composition of claim 1, comprising:

at least about 30 dry weight percent of tobacco material, based on the total weight of the composition;

at least about 20 dry weight percent of sugar alcohol;

at least about 25 dry weight percent of natural gum binder component;

at least about 2 dry weight percent of tobacco-derived binder component;

at least about 2 dry weight percent of at least one humectant;

at least about 1 dry weight percent of at least one sweetener; and

at least about 4 dry weight percent of at least one flavorant.

18. A process for preparing a smokeless tobacco composition pastille configured for insertion into the mouth of a user, comprising:

providing an aqueous mixture comprising a hydrated natural gum binder component;

mixing a tobacco material with the aqueous mixture to form a smokeless tobacco mixture;

heating the smokeless tobacco mixture;

depositing the heated smokeless tobacco mixture into a mould; and

curing the smokeless tobacco mixture to form a smokeless tobacco composition pastille.

19. The process of claim 18, further comprising mixing a tobacco-derived binder component with the aqueous mixture.

20. The process of claim 19, wherein the tobacco-derived binder component comprises a tobacco-derived starch material.

21. The process of claim 20, wherein the tobacco-derived binder component comprises at least about 50 percent starch on a dry weight basis.

22. The process of claim 18, wherein the step of providing an aqueous mixture comprises hydrating a natural gum binder component using a sugar alcohol solution or suspension.

23. The process of claim 22, wherein the sugar alcohol solution comprises sorbitol.

24. The process of claim 18, wherein the natural gum binder component is a water soluble gum.

25. The process of claim 24, wherein the natural gum binder component is gum arabic.

26. The process of claim 18, wherein heating the smokeless tobacco mixture comprises heating the smokeless tobacco mixture to at least about 40°

C.

27. The process of claim 18, further comprising maintaining the heated smokeless tobacco mixture at an elevated temperature after deposition into the mould.

28. The process of claim 27, wherein maintaining the heated smokeless tobacco mixture at an elevated temperature comprises maintaining the heated smokeless tobacco mixture at an elevated temperature of at least about 40°

C.

29. The process of claim 18, further comprising cooling the smokeless tobacco composition pastille at ambient temperature.

30. The process of claim 18, further comprising the step of adding an additive to the tobacco material prior to the mixing step, the additive being selected from the group consisting of flavorants, sweeteners, emulsifiers, disintegration aids, humectants, buffering agents, and mixtures thereof.

31. The process of claim 30, wherein the humectant is glycerin.

32. The process of claim 30, wherein the buffering agent is sodium hydroxide.

33. The process of claim 30, wherein the sweetener is sucralose, sucrose, or a combination thereof.

34. The process of claim 30, wherein the sweetener is granulated sugar.

35. The process of claim 18, further comprising the step of applying an outer coating to the smokeless tobacco composition pastille.