Thermal treatment process for tobacco materials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8991403-B2
Application number	US-201113228912-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 9, 2011
Priority date	Jun 2, 2009
Publication date	Mar 31, 2015
Grant date	Mar 31, 2015

Abstract

A method of thermally processing a tobacco material is provided, the method including the steps of (i) mixing a tobacco material, water, and an additive selected from the group consisting of lysine, glycine, histidine, alanine, methionine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, proline, phenylalanine, valine, arginine, di- and trivalent cations, asparaginase, saccharides, phenolic compounds, reducing agents, compounds having a free thiol group, oxidizing agents, oxidation catalysts, plant extracts, and combinations thereof, to form a moist tobacco mixture; (ii) heating the moist tobacco mixture at a temperature of at least about 60° C. to form a heat-treated tobacco mixture; and (iii) incorporating the heat-treated tobacco mixture into a tobacco product. Heat-treated tobacco composition prepared according to the method are also provided, such as heat-treated smokeless tobacco composition comprising a tobacco material, water, flavorant, binder, and filler, the heat-treated smokeless tobacco composition having an acrylamide content of less than about 2000 ppb.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method of preparing a tobacco product having a reduced acrylamide content, comprising:
(i) forming a solution comprising an aqueous tobacco extract, water, and an additive capable of inhibiting reaction of asparagine to form acrylamide upon heating of the aqueous tobacco extract, thereby forming a mixture, wherein the additive is selected from the group consisting of lysine, cysteine, hydrogen peroxide, asparaginase, and a combination thereof;
(ii) heating the mixture to form a heat-treated aqueous tobacco extract; and
(iii) incorporating the heat-treated aqueous tobacco extract into a tobacco product.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the additive further comprises glycine, histidine, alanine, methionine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, proline, phenylalanine, valine, arginine, di- and trivalent cations, saccharides, phenolic compounds, reducing agents, compounds having a free thiol group, oxidizing agents, oxidation catalysts, plant extracts, or combinations thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the additive further comprises glycine, histidine, alanine, methionine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, proline, phenylalanine, valine, arginine, or combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the additive is lysine.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the additive is present in an amount of between about 100 ppm to about 10 weight percent, based on the total weight of the mixture.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tobacco product is a smokeless tobacco product.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the smokeless tobacco product is characterized by an acrylamide content that is reduced relative to an untreated control smokeless tobacco product.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the amount of acrylamide reduction by weight is at least about 10 percent as compared to an untreated control smokeless tobacco product.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the amount of acrylamide reduction is at least about 30 percent as compared to an untreated control smokeless tobacco product.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the amount of acrylamide reduction is at least about 50 percent as compared to an untreated control smokeless tobacco product.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the amount of acrylamide reduction is at least about 60 percent as compared to an untreated control smokeless tobacco product.

12. The method of claim 6 , wherein the smokeless tobacco product comprises less than about 1000 ppb of acrylamide.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the smokeless tobacco product comprises less than about 700 ppb of acrylamide.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the smokeless tobacco product comprises less than about 500 ppb of acrylamide.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mixture further comprises one or more additional components selected from the group consisting of flavorants, fillers, binders, pH adjusters, buffering agents, colorants, disintegration aids, antioxidants, humectants, and preservatives.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the heating step comprises heating at a temperature of at least about 60° C.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the heating step comprises heating at a temperature of at least about 80° C.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
step (ii) comprises heating the mixture at a temperature of at least about 60° C.; and
step (iii) comprises incorporating the heat-treated aqueous tobacco extract into a smokeless tobacco product, wherein the smokeless tobacco product has an acrylamide content of less than about 700 ppb.

19. A tobacco product prepared according to claim 1 .

20. A smokeless tobacco product adapted for insertion into the mouth, comprising an aqueous tobacco extract pre-treated to inhibit reaction of asparagine to form acrylamide, wherein the pre-treatment comprises heating the tobacco material in the presence of an additive selected from the group consisting of lysine, cysteine, hydrogen peroxide, asparaginase, and a combination thereof.

21. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 20 , wherein the pre-treatment further comprises heating the tobacco material in the presence of an additive selected from the group consisting of glycine, histidine, alanine, methionine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, proline, phenylalanine, valine, arginine, di- and trivalent cations, saccharides, phenolic compounds, reducing agents, compounds having a free thiol group, oxidizing agents, oxidation catalysts, plant extracts, and combinations thereof.

22. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 20 , wherein the additive further comprises glycine, histidine, alanine, methionine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, proline, phenylalanine, valine, arginine, or combinations thereof.

23. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 20 , wherein the additive is lysine.

24. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 20 , wherein the smokeless tobacco product comprises less than about 1000 ppb of acrylamide.

25. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 24 , wherein the smokeless tobacco product comprises less than about 700 ppb of acrylamide.

26. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 25 , wherein the smokeless tobacco product comprises less than about 500 ppb of acrylamide.

27. The smokeless tobacco product of claim 20 , wherein the product is dissolvable.

Assignees

• Chen Gong
• Gerardi Anthony Richard
• Mua John-Paul
• Holton Jr Darrell Eugene
• Cantrell Daniel Verdin
• St Charles Frank Kelley
• Scott Cheryl Cooper
• Reynolds Tobacco Co R

Inventors

• Chen Gong
• Gerardi Anthony Richard
• Mua John-Paul
• Holton Jr Darrell Eugene
• Cantrell Daniel Verdin
• St Charles Frank Kelley
• Scott Cheryl Cooper

Classifications

• A24B15/306

  one reactant being an amino acid or a protein, e.g. Maillard's reaction (A24B15/307 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A24B15/302 Primary

  by natural substances obtained from animals or plants · CPC title

• A24B15/20

  Biochemical treatment · CPC title