High-pressure cold pasteurization of tobacco material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10869497-B2
Application number	US-201514847485-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 8, 2015
Priority date	Sep 8, 2015
Publication date	Dec 22, 2020
Grant date	Dec 22, 2020

Abstract

A tobacco material having at least about 40% water based on the total weight, and having a storage stability of at least about 25 days is provided herein, wherein the storage stability is defined as an aerobic plate count below about 3,000,000 CFU/g. A method of treating a tobacco material to enhance storage stability is also provided herein, the method including receiving a tobacco material having at least about 40% water based on the total weight and subjecting the tobacco material to a process pressure of at least about 30,000 psi to form a high pressure processed tobacco material, wherein the high pressure processed tobacco material has a storage stability of at least about 25 days, and wherein the storage stability is defined as an aerobic plate count below about 3,000,000 CFU/g.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of treating a tobacco material to enhance storage stability, comprising:
receiving a tobacco material having at least about 40% water based on the total weight;
adjusting the pH of the tobacco material to be in the range of about 4 to about 6;
sealing the tobacco material in a package and introducing the sealed tobacco material to a pressurizing medium;
subjecting the sealed tobacco material to a process pressure of at least about 30,000 psi by way of isostatic pressure transmitted by the pressurizing medium to form a high pressure processed tobacco material;
wherein the high pressure processed tobacco material has a first storage stability of at least about 25 days at a storage temperature of about 37° C., wherein the first storage stability is defined as an aerobic plate count below about 3,000,000 CFU/g.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the processed tobacco material has a second storage stability of at least about 75 days at a storage temperature of about 4° C., wherein the second storage stability is defined as an aerobic plate count below about 3,000,000 CFU/g.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the second storage stability is at least about 100 days.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tobacco material is in the form of a particulate material.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tobacco material is in the form of an aqueous tobacco extract.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the process pressure is at least about 75,000 psi.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tobacco material is subjected to the process pressure for a holding time of at least about 30 seconds.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the holding time is in the range of about 180 seconds to about 300 seconds.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising incorporating the high pressure processed tobacco material into a tobacco product.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the tobacco product is a smoking article.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the tobacco product is a smokeless tobacco product.

Assignees

• Reynolds Tobacco Co R

Inventors

• Nordskog Brian Keith

Classifications

• A24B15/167

  in liquid or vaporisable form, e.g. liquid compositions for electronic cigarettes · CPC title

• A24B13/00 Primary

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

• A24B15/183

  sterilization, preservation or biological decontamination · CPC title