Method for preparing a tobacco composition

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10375985-B2
Application number	US-201615362172-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2016
Priority date	Nov 27, 2015
Publication date	Aug 13, 2019
Grant date	Aug 13, 2019

Abstract

The present invention relates to an improved method for preparing a tobacco composition suitable for use as a smokeless tobacco composition wherein the tobacco material can be cooled down, after being heated to a temperature of 80° C. or more, to a temperature of below 25° C. during a time period of 20 min or less.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for preparing a tobacco composition suitable for use as a smokeless tobacco composition, comprising the following steps:
(a) providing a tobacco material in a vessel;
(b) heating the tobacco material to a temperature of 80° C. or more;
(c) cooling the tobacco material by introducing a cryogenic fluid through a first opening of the vessel so that the cryogenic fluid passes through the tobacco material to cool down the temperature of the tobacco material to a temperature of below 25° C. during a time period of 20 min or less, wherein the cryogenic fluid is a gas when introduced into the vessel, the gas being distributed throughout the tobacco material during the cooling of the tobacco material.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein 0.01-10 kg cryogenic liquid are used per kg tobacco material.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the cryogenic fluid is introduced at a flow rate of 0.01 or more kg/min/kg tobacco material.

4. The method according to claim 1 , comprising an additional step of adding water to the tobacco material prior to the heating step (b) or during the heating step (b).

5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein the additional step of adding water to the tobacco material during the heating step (b) comprises introducing steam.

6. The method according to claim 1 , comprising an additional step of adding a salt to the tobacco prior to the heating step (b) or during the heating step (b).

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the tobacco material is stirred during the step (c).

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the cryogenic fluid is introduced in the vessel for a period of 4 minutes.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the cryogenic fluid is liquid nitrogen or liquid carbon dioxide.

10. The method according to claim 1 , comprising an additional step (d) of adding a buffer to the tobacco material to adjust the pH to a value in the range of 7.0 to 9.0.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the tobacco material is agitated during the introduction of the gas.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the tobacco material is agitated during the introduction of the gas by a pressure of the gas that is introduced into the vessel.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the vessel comprises mixing blades, and the tobacco material is agitated during the introduction of the gas by the mixing blades.

14. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the gas is formed by vaporization of a liquid to form the gas when the cryogenic fluid is introduced into the vessel.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first opening of the vessel is located at a bottom of the vessel, and the vessel has a second opening at a top of the vessel, so that the gas passes through the tobacco material as it rises from the first opening to the second opening.

Assignees

• Jt Int Sa

Inventors

• Mcfarlane Mary
• Ågren Maria

Classifications

• A24B3/10 Primary

  Roasting or cooling tobacco · CPC title

• A24B3/12

  Steaming, curing, or flavouring tobacco · CPC title

• A24B9/00

  Control of the moisture content of tobacco products, e.g. cigars, cigarettes, pipe tobacco ({final drying of cigars A24C1/383, of cigarettes A24C5/603}; devices for use by the smoker for controlling the moisture content of tobacco products A24F25/00) · CPC title

• A24B15/287 Primary

  by inorganic substances only · CPC title

• A24B13/00

  Tobacco for pipes, for cigars, e.g. cigar inserts, or for cigarettes; Chewing tobacco; Snuff (reconstituted tobacco products A24B3/14) · CPC title