Modification of bacterial profile of tobacco

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9980509-B2
Application number	US-201615043177-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 12, 2016
Priority date	Apr 5, 2013
Publication date	May 29, 2018
Grant date	May 29, 2018

Abstract

A method of modifying the content of certain bacteria in uncured tobacco material is provided, the method including contacting an uncured tobacco material with a treatment solution, wherein the treatment solution is selected from the group consisting of: (i) a solution comprising salt, sugar, or a combination thereof; (ii) a solution comprising one or more enzymes; and (iii) a solution comprising one or more probiotics, wherein said contacting provides a treated tobacco material having a reduced total bacterial content following harvest. Also provided is a method of reducing TSNA content, the method including growing a tobacco plant in soil treated with a chloride source; harvesting the tobacco plant; and curing the harvested tobacco plant to give a cured tobacco material, providing a treated, cured tobacco material having a TSNA content that is reduced as compared to a cured tobacco material that has been grown in soil not treated with a chloride source. Smoking articles and smokeless tobacco products including such treated tobacco materials are also provided.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method of reducing TSNA content of a tobacco material, comprising:
growing a tobacco plant in soil treated with a chloride source;
harvesting the tobacco plant; and
curing the harvested tobacco plant to give a cured tobacco material,
wherein said method provides a treated, cured tobacco material having a TSNA content that is reduced as compared to a cured tobacco material that has been grown in soil not treated with a chloride source, wherein the soil is treated with the chloride source in an amount of about 25 to about 150 lbs per acre.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising planting tobacco prior to the soil treatment.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising planting tobacco after the soil treatment.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying the chloride source to the soil.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the chloride source is a chloride salt.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the chloride source is a compound capable of decomposition to provide chloride ions.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the chloride source is selected from the group consisting of sodium chloride (NaCl), potassium chloride (KCl), magnesium chloride (MgCl 2 ), calcium chloride (CaCl 2 ), and combinations thereof.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein the chloride source is KCl.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the chloride source comprises one or more fertilizer components, selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus.

10. The method of claim 4 , wherein the applying comprises applying the chloride source in solid form to the soil.

11. The method of claim 4 , wherein the applying comprises applying a solution of the chloride source to the soil.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the combined content of NNN, NAT, NAB, and NAK in the treated, cured tobacco material is less than about 500 ng/g.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the combined content of NNN, NAT, NAB, and NAK in the treated, cured tobacco material is less than about 200 ng/g.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the NNN content in the treated, cured tobacco material is less than about 100 ng/g.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the NNN content in the treated, cured tobacco material is less than about 50 ng/g.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the NAT content in the treated, cured tobacco material is less than about 100 ng/g.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the NAT content in the treated, cured tobacco material is less than about 75 ng/g.

18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the combined NAT and NNN content in the treated, cured tobacco material is less than about 150 ng/g.

19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the NNN content in the treated, cured tobacco material represents greater than a 50% reduction as compared with that of a cured tobacco material from a plant grown in soil with comparable levels of N, P, and K but without any chloride source added thereto.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the NAT content in the treated, cured tobacco material represents greater than a 50% reduction as compared with that of a cured tobacco material from a plant grown in soil with comparable levels of N, P, and K but without any chloride source added thereto.

21. The method of claim 1 , wherein the curing comprises air curing.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the curing comprises fire curing.

23. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
processing the treated, cured tobacco material to provide a processed tobacco material in a form suitable for incorporation in a tobacco product; and
incorporating the processed tobacco material into a smokeless tobacco product.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the processed tobacco material is in the form of cut filler.

25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the processed tobacco material is in the form of a tobacco blend.

Assignees

• Reynolds Tobacco Co R

Inventors

• Marshall Jerry Wayne
• Gerardi Anthony Richard

Classifications

• A24B1/00 Primary

  Preparation of tobacco on the plantation · CPC title

• A01D45/16

  of tobacco · CPC title

• A01N59/08

  Alkali metal chlorides; Alkaline earth metal chlorides · CPC title

• A24B15/245

  Nitrosamines · CPC title

• A24B3/12

  Steaming, curing, or flavouring tobacco · CPC title