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Method for reduction of tobacco specific nitrosamines

Inactive Publication Date: 2005-06-09
PHILIP MORRIS USA INC
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0006] The present invention provides a method of treating tobacco prior to or during curing with an aqueous solution of bicarbonate or carbonate anions which is found to accelerate coloring of the tobacco during cure and thereby shorten curing time, particularly with Burley and other air cured tobaccos. When such treatment is coupled with the step of an immediate drying of the tobacco at conclusion of the curing process, the process achieves pronounced reductions in tobacco-specific nitrosamines and bacterial endotoxins in the cured tobacco leaves as compared to untreated cured leaves.

Problems solved by technology

The microwaving adds significant cost to the tobacco farmer, including the costs of excess handling and breakage of tobacco leaves, the microwave process, the microwave facility and the extra labor and time necessitated by the microwaving process.
A further drawback to this method of reducing TSNAs is that microwaving of the tobacco leaves has a thermal effect upon the tobacco tissue resulting in heating of the tobacco leaves which may affect the taste and aroma of the smoke from the tobacco.

Method used

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  • Method for reduction of tobacco specific nitrosamines

Examples

Experimental program
Comparison scheme
Effect test

example i

Antibacterial Lavage

[0044] Bright tobacco from the 5th leaf position (tip) was harvested and loaded into standard Bulktobac curing racks (approximately 70 lbs. per rack). Individual racks were immersed in 70% ethanol for either 1 or 5 minutes then rinsed in water. After draining thoroughly the treated tobacco along with untreated control material was cured in a Bulktobac 32-rack curing barn equipped with a heat exchanger. A standard flue-curing profile was followed and the resultant tobaccos were lyophilized, ground and assayed for microbial counts. The results indicated that the ethanol treatment reduced the bacterial load in a dose dependent manner 1 to 2 orders of magnitude as compared to the control for the 1 and 5 minutes treatments, respectively. That is, the control exhibited a 108 count whereas the 1 minute treatment exhibited a 107 count and the 5 minute treatment exhibited a 106 count. Similar results were achieved for treatment of the tobacco with 10.7 ppm ClO2 in aqueou...

example ii

Alkaline Lavage

[0054] The “Carbonate Lavage”—Freshly stalk-cut harvested burley (Tn90) plants were hung on a stick, 5 plants per stick and hung on a scaffold, whereupon, leaves were sprayed until run-off with an aqueous solution of either 1% or 2% (weight / volume) of NaHCO3 (sodium bicarbonate) and allowed to dry and wilt for three days and then hung in a conventional air-curing barn. Untreated controls were included. Once cured, the tobacco was dried (fixed) by passing dry air about the cured tobacco, preferably at approximately 85° F. By two weeks, older leaves (at the lower stalk positions) had become so brown as to be undistinguishable in pigmentation from untreated leaves that had cured for at least four to six weeks. The browned bicarbonate-treated leaves remained moist and pliable, in contrast to the dry and friable lamina that had been equivalently browned by conventional curing. Leaves at higher stalk positions of treated plants, i.e., developmentally younger leaves, had un...

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PUM

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Abstract

Tobacco is treated before or during curing to lower or eliminate bacterial populations and / or activity, fungal growth, and / or tobacco-specific nitrosamine or bacterial endotoxin levels in the cured tobacco, wherein the tobacco is treated with an effective amount of a wash solution. Air-cured tobacco may be cured in four weeks or less when treated with a wash solution of bicarbonate salts.

Description

[0001] The invention relates generally to tobacco curing and more particularly to a method of treating and curing tobacco leaves so as to have low levels of or no detectable tobacco-specific nitrosamines and a reduced level of bacterial endotoxins as compared to untreated, cured tobacco leaves. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,550 to Argyropoulos and U.S. Pat. No. 4,448,208 to Friedrich et al. disclose processes of washing cured tobacco leaves or leaf pieces with both hot and cold water for extraction of resins, tar and nicotine as well as removal of pesticide residue. [0003] It has been reported that air-cured and flue-cured tobacco contain tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs). See, “Effect of Air-Curing on the Chemical Composition of Tobacco”, Anna Wiernik et al., Recent Adv. Tob. Sci, (1995), 21, pp. 39-80. According to Wiernik et al., TSNAs are not present in significant quantities in growing tobacco plants or fresh cut tobacco (green tobacco), but are for...

Claims

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Application Information

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IPC IPC(8): A24B15/28
CPCA24B15/183A24B15/287A24B15/28A24B15/245
Inventor HEMPFLING, WALTER P.BOKELMAN, GORDON H.SHULLEETA, MARIA
Owner PHILIP MORRIS USA INC
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