Method for improving smoking taste of heated cigarettes and its application

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for improving the smoking taste of heated cigarettes and its application. The method for improving the smoking taste of heated cigarettes comprises: (1) baking tobacco leaves and then crushing them, and sieving them to obtain tobacco powder; (2) mixing the tobacco powder and slurry to obtain tobacco pulp; (3) making the tobacco pulp into sheets to obtain a heat-not-burn cigarette substrate; (4) making the heat-not-burn cigarette substrate into a finished heated cigarette, wherein the slurry comprises fiber raw materials, adhesives, smoke-generating agents and water. The heated cigarettes obtained by the method of the present invention have better smoking performance. The smoke of the heated cigarettes is not only less irritating, but also has improved concentration, fragrance, taste, and delicateness. In addition, the method is simple in process and easy to promote industrialization.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of heated cigarettes, and particularly relates to a method for improving the smoking taste of heated cigarettes and an application thereof. Background Art

[0002] Heat-not-burn (HTB) cigarettes, a rapidly developing new tobacco product, effectively reduce environmental pollution and mitigate potential health risks associated with smoking, making them a key area of ​​future tobacco product development. However, the heating method and temperature of HNB cigarettes differ from those of traditional cigarettes, as does the smoke generation mechanism. Compared to traditional cigarettes, HNB cigarettes, while characterized by a lower puff temperature, are continuously heated and have virtually no sidestream smoke. Consequently, HNB cigarettes often suffer from a higher intensity and irritation, as well as uneven aroma release and physiological intensity from puff to puff.

[0003] CN111772226A discloses a method for improving the comfort of heated cigarettes, belonging to the technical field of heated cigarettes. Specifically, the method comprises the following steps: preparing a surface aroma, controlling its pH to less than 6 using an acid-base regulator, adding the surface aroma to a cigarette core material, adding a water-binding agent to the cigarette core material to control its moisture content to 10-20% and its water activity to 0.35-0.7, and finally preparing the cigarette core material into a heated cigarette. The method effectively improves the smoking comfort of heated cigarettes by monitoring the pH of the surface aroma during the heated cigarette preparation process and simultaneously controlling the moisture content and water activity of the cigarette core material.

[0004] CN113040415A discloses a tobacco cut that enhances the overall sensory quality of smoke. This invention combines the technology of generating nicotine salts from organic acids with tea polyphenol complexation technology. The organic acid mellows the smoke, and the small molecules produced by the cracking of tea polyphenols interact with the alcohol and smoke to improve the aroma quality of the smoke, creating a unique and mellow flavor, and substantially improving the smoke quality. This invention not only effectively reduces the amount of nicotine released in the aerosol of heated cigarette smoke, significantly reducing irritation, but also ensures a high level of smoke satisfaction and a stable product flavor and quality.

[0005] However, the above-mentioned method for improving the quality of heated cigarettes is not only complicated, but also has little effect on the taste and flavor of heated cigarettes. Therefore, there is an urgent need to provide a more optimized and more effective preparation process for improving the aroma performance, smoking performance and sensory experience of heated cigarettes. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of the deficiencies in the prior art, the present invention aims to provide a method for improving the smoking taste of heated cigarettes and its application.

[0007] In order to achieve the purpose of the invention, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0008] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a method for improving the smoking flavor of heated cigarettes, the method for improving the smoking flavor of heated cigarettes comprising:

[0009] (1) baking tobacco leaves, crushing them, and sieving them to obtain tobacco powder;

[0010] (2) mixing tobacco powder and slurry to prepare tobacco slurry;

[0011] (3) forming a heat-not-burn cigarette substrate by rolling the tobacco slurry into sheets;

[0012] (4) preparing a finished heated cigarette from the heat-not-burn cigarette substrate;

[0013] The slurry includes fiber raw material, binder, smoke generating agent and water.

[0014] The method of the present invention involves first baking tobacco leaves, then pulverizing them, and then mixing them with a specific slurry to ultimately produce a heat-not-burn cigarette substrate. The resulting heated cigarettes exhibit superior flavor, effectively reducing smoke irritation and improving smoke concentration, aroma, mouthfeel, and smoothness. Furthermore, the method is simple and easily commercializable.

[0015] Preferably, the baking temperature is 75-85°C, and the baking time is 25-40 min. For example, the temperature can be 76°C, 77°C, 78°C, 79°C, 80°C, 81°C, 82°C, 83°C or 84°C, and the time can be 26 min, 28 min, 30 min, 32 min, 34 min, 36 min or 38 min, etc.

[0016] Preferably, the mesh number of the sieve is 100-150 mesh, for example, it can be 110 mesh, 120 mesh, 130 mesh or 140 mesh.

[0017] Preferably, the mass ratio of the tobacco powder to the slurry is 1:(1-10), for example, it can be 1:2, 1:3, 1:4, 1:5, 1:6, 1:7, 1:8 or 1:9.

[0018] Preferably, the mass ratio of the tobacco powder to the slurry is 1:(3-7).

[0019] Preferably, the mass ratio of the fiber raw material, adhesive, smoke generating agent and water is (1.5-2):(6-8):(15-25):(90-110).

[0020] Where "1.5-2" can be 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9 or 2, etc.;

[0021] "6-8" can be 6.2, 6.4, 6.6, 6.8, 7, 7.2, 7.4, 7.6 or 7.8, etc.;

[0022] "15-25" can be 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 or 24, etc.;

[0023] "90-110" can be 91, 93, 95, 97, 99, 100, 102, 104, 106 or 108, etc.

[0024] Other specific point values ​​within the above numerical ranges can be selected and will not be described in detail here.

[0025] Preferably, the fiber raw material includes any one of wood pulp fiber, straw pulp fiber, hemp pulp fiber or tobacco stem fiber, or a combination of at least two of them.

[0026] Preferably, the binder comprises any one or a combination of at least two of carboxymethyl cellulose, guar gum, chitosan, sodium alginate or pectin;

[0027] Preferably, the adhesive comprises a combination of sodium alginate and chitosan;

[0028] Preferably, the mass ratio of sodium alginate to chitosan is 1:(1-5), for example, it can be 1:1.5, 1:2, 1:2.5, 1:3, 1:3.5, 1:4 or 1:4.5, etc.

[0029] In the present invention, the adhesive is a combination of sodium alginate and chitosan, which can not only bind the tobacco powder into sheets, but also complex heavy metal ions, free radicals, etc. in the smoke, thereby better reducing the irritation of the smoke.

[0030] Preferably, the smoke generating agent comprises any one or a combination of two of glycerol, propylene glycol, 1,2-propylene glycol, 1,3-butylene glycol, erythritol, and polyethylene glycol.

[0031] Preferably, the smoke generating agent is a combination of erythritol and polyethylene glycol.

[0032] In the present invention, erythritol and polyethylene glycol are selected as smoke generating agents. The combination of the two not only increases the smoke yield of the heated cigarette, but also improves the harmony of the smoke, thereby improving the taste of the heated cigarette.

[0033] Preferably, the mass ratio of erythritol to polyethylene glycol is 1:(0.5-2), for example, it can be 1:0.6, 1:0.8, 1:1., 1:1.1, 1:1.3, 1:1.5, 1:1.7 or 1:1.9, etc.

[0034] Preferably, the step (3) further comprises a drying step after the cast film production;

[0035] Preferably, the drying temperature is 85-95°C, and the drying time is 1-3h. For example, the temperature can be 86°C, 87°C, 88°C, 89°C, 90°C, 91°C, 92°C, 93°C or 94°C, and the time can be 1.2h, 1.5h, 2h, 2.2h, 2.4h, 2.6h or 2.8h, etc.

[0036] Preferably, the thickness of the heat-not-burn cigarette substrate in step (3) is 0.1-0.2 mm, and the moisture content is 10-15%. For example, the thickness can be 0.11 mm, 0.13 mm, 0.15 mm, 0.17 mm or 0.19 mm, and the moisture content can be 11%, 12%, 13% or 14%.

[0037] Other specific point values ​​within the above numerical ranges can be selected and will not be described in detail here.

[0038] In a second aspect, the present invention provides a heated cigarette, which is prepared by the method described in the first aspect.

[0039] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0040] (1) The method of the present invention is to first bake the tobacco leaves and then crush them, and then mix them with a specific slurry to finally obtain a heat-not-burn cigarette substrate. The heated cigarette obtained by the above method has good smoking performance. Not only is the smoke irritation small, but the concentration, aroma, taste, and delicateness of the smoke are also improved.

[0041] (2) In the present invention, the adhesive is a combination of sodium alginate and chitosan, which can not only bind the tobacco powder into sheets, but also can complex heavy metal ions, free radicals, etc. in the smoke, thereby better reducing the harmfulness of the smoke.

[0042] (3) In the present invention, erythritol and polyethylene glycol are selected as smoke-generating agents. The combination of the two not only increases the smoke production of heated cigarettes, but also improves the harmony of the smoke, thereby improving the taste of heated cigarettes.

[0043] (4) The method for improving the smoking taste of heated cigarettes involved in the present invention is simple and easy to operate, and is very suitable for industrial application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] In order to further illustrate the technical means and effects adopted by the present invention, the technical solutions of the present invention are further described below in conjunction with the preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the scope of the embodiments.

[0045] The raw materials used in the embodiments of the present invention can be purchased from commercial sources and used.

[0046] Example 1

[0047] This embodiment provides a method for improving the smoking taste of heated cigarettes. The method for improving the smoking taste of heated cigarettes is as follows:

[0048] (1) C3F tobacco leaves from Yulong, Lijiang, Yunnan were cut into shreds, baked at 80°C for 30 min, and then crushed and passed through a 100-mesh sieve to obtain tobacco powder;

[0049] (2) preparing tobacco slurry by mixing tobacco powder and slurry in a mass ratio of 1:5, wherein the slurry is obtained by mixing tobacco rod fibers, a binder, a smoke generating agent, and water in a mass ratio of 2:7:20:100;

[0050] (3) forming a sheet of tobacco slurry by rolling and baking the sheet at 90° C. for 2 h to obtain a heat-not-burn cigarette substrate, wherein the substrate has a thickness of 0.15 mm and a moisture content of 12%;

[0051] (4) preparing a finished heated cigarette from the heat-not-burn cigarette substrate;

[0052] The adhesive in step (2) is a combination of sodium alginate and chitosan in a mass ratio of 1:3;

[0053] The smoke generating agent is a combination of erythritol and polyethylene glycol in a mass ratio of 1:1.

[0054] Example 2

[0055] This embodiment provides a method for improving the smoking taste of heated cigarettes. The method for improving the smoking taste of heated cigarettes is as follows:

[0056] (1) Middle tobacco leaves from Dali, Yunnan were roasted at 85°C for 25 min, then crushed and passed through a 110-mesh sieve to obtain tobacco powder;

[0057] (2) preparing tobacco slurry by mixing tobacco powder and slurry in a mass ratio of 1:3, wherein the slurry is obtained by mixing wood pulp fiber, adhesive, smoke generating agent and water in a mass ratio of 1.5:8:15:105;

[0058] (3) forming a tobacco slurry sheet by rolling and baking the sheet at 85° C. for 2.5 hours to obtain a heat-not-burn cigarette substrate, wherein the substrate has a thickness of 0.10 mm and a moisture content of 10%;

[0059] (4) preparing a finished heated cigarette from the heat-not-burn cigarette substrate;

[0060] The adhesive in step (2) is a combination of sodium alginate and chitosan in a mass ratio of 1:5;

[0061] The smoke generating agent is a combination of erythritol and polyethylene glycol in a mass ratio of 2:1.

[0062] Example 3

[0063] This embodiment provides a method for improving the smoking taste of heated cigarettes. The method for improving the smoking taste of heated cigarettes is as follows:

[0064] (1) Middle tobacco leaves from Dali, Yunnan were roasted at 85°C for 40 min, then crushed and passed through a 100-mesh sieve to obtain tobacco powder;

[0065] (2) mixing tobacco powder and slurry in a mass ratio of 1:7 to prepare tobacco slurry, wherein the slurry is obtained by mixing straw pulp fiber, adhesive, smoke generating agent and water in a mass ratio of 2:6:25:90;

[0066] (3) forming a sheet of tobacco slurry by rolling and baking the sheet at 95° C. for 1.5 hours to obtain a heat-not-burn cigarette substrate, wherein the substrate has a thickness of 0.12 mm and a moisture content of 15%;

[0067] (4) preparing a finished heated cigarette from the heat-not-burn cigarette substrate;

[0068] The adhesive in step (2) is a combination of sodium alginate and chitosan in a mass ratio of 1:1;

[0069] The smoke generating agent is a combination of erythritol and polyethylene glycol in a mass ratio of 1:2.

[0070] Example 4

[0071] This embodiment provides a method for improving the smoking taste of heated cigarettes. The method differs from that of Example 1 only in that the baking temperature in step (1) is 90° C. and the baking time is 20 min. The remaining steps and raw materials used are consistent with those of Example 1.

[0072] Example 5

[0073] This embodiment provides a method for improving the smoking taste of heated cigarettes. The method differs from that of Example 1 only in that the baking temperature in step (1) is 70° C. and the baking time is 45 minutes. The remaining steps and raw materials used are consistent with those of Example 1.

[0074] Example 6

[0075] This embodiment provides a method for improving the smoking taste of heated cigarettes. The method differs from that of Example 1 only in that the baking temperature in step (1) is 100° C. and the baking time is 15 minutes. The remaining steps and raw materials used are consistent with those of Example 1.

[0076] Example 7

[0077] This embodiment provides a method for improving the smoking taste of heated cigarettes. The method differs from that of Example 1 only in that the baking temperature in step (1) is 60° C. and the baking time is 50 min. The remaining steps and raw materials used are consistent with those of Example 1.

[0078] Example 8

[0079] This embodiment provides a method for improving the smoking taste of heated cigarettes. The method differs from that of Example 1 only in that the adhesive in step (2) is sodium alginate and the amount of adhesive added remains unchanged. The remaining steps and raw materials used remain the same as those of Example 1.

[0080] Example 9

[0081] This embodiment provides a method for improving the smoking taste of heated cigarettes. The method differs from that of Example 1 only in that the adhesive in step (2) is chitosan and the amount of adhesive added remains unchanged. The remaining steps and raw materials used remain the same as those of Example 1.

[0082] Example 10

[0083] This embodiment provides a method for improving the smoking taste of heated cigarettes. The method differs from that of Example 1 only in that the smoking agent in step (2) is erythritol, and the amount of the smoking agent added remains unchanged. The remaining steps and raw materials used remain the same as those of Example 1.

[0084] Example 11

[0085] This embodiment provides a method for improving the smoking taste of heated cigarettes. The method differs from that of Example 1 only in that the smoking agent in step (2) is polyethylene glycol, and the amount of smoking agent added remains unchanged. The remaining steps and raw materials used are consistent with those of Example 1.

[0086] Example 12

[0087] This embodiment provides a method for improving the smoking taste of heated cigarettes. The method differs from that of Example 1 only in that the mass ratio of the tobacco powder to the slurry in step (2) is 1:1, and the remaining steps and raw materials used are consistent with those of Example 1.

[0088] Example 13

[0089] This embodiment provides a method for improving the smoking taste of heated cigarettes. The method differs from that of Example 1 only in that the mass ratio of the tobacco powder to the slurry in step (2) is 1:10, and the remaining steps and raw materials used are consistent with those of Example 1.

[0090] Comparative Example 1

[0091] This comparative example provides a method for improving the smoking taste of heated cigarettes, and the method for improving the smoking taste of heated cigarettes is:

[0092] (1) crushing tobacco leaves and passing them through a 100-mesh sieve to obtain tobacco powder;

[0093] (2) preparing tobacco slurry by mixing tobacco powder and slurry in a mass ratio of 1:5, wherein the slurry is obtained by mixing tobacco rod fibers, a binder, a smoke generating agent, and water in a mass ratio of 2:7:20:100;

[0094] (3) forming a sheet of tobacco slurry by rolling and baking the sheet at 90° C. for 2 h to obtain a heat-not-burn cigarette substrate, wherein the substrate has a thickness of 0.15 mm and a moisture content of 12%;

[0095] (4) preparing a finished heated cigarette from the heat-not-burn cigarette substrate;

[0096] The adhesive in step (2) is a combination of sodium alginate and chitosan in a mass ratio of 1:3;

[0097] The smoke generating agent is a combination of erythritol and polyethylene glycol in a mass ratio of 1:1.

[0098] Comparative Example 2

[0099] This comparative example provides a method for improving the smoking taste of heated cigarettes. The method differs from Example 1 only in that the slurry in step (2) is obtained by mixing an adhesive, a smoke-generating agent, and water in a mass ratio of 7:20:100, and the amount of slurry added is kept unchanged. The remaining steps and the raw materials used are consistent with Example 1.

[0100] Comparative Example 3

[0101] This comparative example provides a method for improving the smoking taste of heated cigarettes. The method differs from Example 1 only in that the slurry in step (2) is obtained by mixing tobacco rod fibers, adhesive and water in a mass ratio of 2:7:100, and the amount of slurry added is kept unchanged. The remaining steps and raw materials used are consistent with Example 1.

[0102] Test Example 1

[0103] Sampling was carried out in accordance with the sampling method in GB5606.4-2005 "Cigarettes Part 4: Sensory Technical Requirements", and sensory quality evaluation indicators and smoke stability indicators were set respectively. Seven special smoking testers were organized to evaluate and score the cigarettes based on the evaluation contents and judgment standards in Table 1-Table 2. The scores for sensory quality indicators were given on a 100-point scale.

[0104] The sensory quality evaluation indicators are: smoke volume (smoke concentration), aroma and fragrance, strength, harmony, pungency and taste (aftertaste); the specific definitions of the six sensory quality evaluation indicators are shown in Table 1, and the evaluation criteria of the six sensory quality evaluation indicators are shown in Table 2.

[0105] Table 1

[0106]

[0107]

[0108] Table 2

[0109]

[0110] The specific results of the heated cigarettes prepared in Examples 1-13 and Comparative Examples 1-3 are shown in Table 3 below:

[0111] Table 3

[0112]

[0113]

[0114] As can be seen from the data in Table 3, the heated cigarettes obtained by the method provided by the present invention in Examples 1-3 not only have a larger smoke volume and a stronger smoke aroma, but can also effectively reduce throat irritation and improve oral aftertaste.

[0115] From the comparison between Example 1 and Examples 4-7, it can be seen that when the baking temperature of the tobacco leaves in step (1) is changed, the aroma of the heated cigarettes is obviously insufficient.

[0116] It can be seen from Example 1 and Examples 8-9 that when the type of adhesive in step (3) is changed, the irritation of the heated cigarette increases;

[0117] It can be seen from Examples 1 and 10-11 that when the smoking agent is not of the type specified in this application, the aroma of the heated cigarette is also slightly reduced;

[0118] From Example 1 and Examples 12-13, when the mass ratio of tobacco powder to slurry is too large or too small, the smoke volume and taste of the heated cigarette will be affected;

[0119] From Comparative Example 1, it can be seen that when the tobacco leaves are directly crushed without being baked, the aroma of the heated cigarette is slightly rough and the aftertaste is more pronounced;

[0120] In Comparative Example 2, when the slurry did not contain tobacco stem fibers, the smoke volume of the heated cigarette was low and the harmony was poor;

[0121] In Comparative Example 3, when the slurry did not contain a smoke-generating agent, the amount of smoke from the heated cigarette decreased significantly.

[0122] The applicant declares that the present invention uses the above-mentioned embodiments to illustrate the method for improving the flavor of heated cigarettes and its application, but the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, that is, it does not mean that the present invention must rely on the above-mentioned embodiments to be implemented. Those skilled in the art should understand that any improvements to the present invention, equivalent replacements for various raw materials in the product of the present invention, addition of auxiliary ingredients, and selection of specific methods, etc., are all within the scope of protection and disclosure of the present invention.

[0123] The preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail above. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific details in the above embodiments. Within the technical concept of the present invention, various simple modifications can be made to the technical solution of the present invention, and these simple modifications all fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0124] It should also be noted that the various specific technical features described in the above specific embodiments can be combined in any appropriate manner without contradiction. In order to avoid unnecessary repetition, the present invention will not further describe various possible combinations.

Claims

1. A method for improving the smoking taste of heated cigarettes, characterized in that: The method for improving the smoking taste of heated cigarettes comprises: (1) Cutting flue-cured tobacco leaves into shreds, baking them, and then crushing them, sieving them to obtain tobacco powder; the baking temperature is 75-85° C., and the baking time is 25-40 minutes; (2) mixing tobacco powder and slurry to prepare tobacco slurry; the mass ratio of tobacco powder to slurry is 1:(3-7); (3) forming a heat-not-burn cigarette substrate by rolling the tobacco slurry into sheets; (4) forming a finished heated cigarette from the heat-not-burn cigarette substrate; The slurry is composed of fiber raw material, adhesive, smoke generating agent and water; the mass ratio of the fiber raw material, adhesive, smoke generating agent and water is (1.5-2):(6-8):(15-25):(90-110); The adhesive is a combination of sodium alginate and chitosan; the mass ratio of the sodium alginate to chitosan is 1:(1-5); The smoke generating agent is a combination of erythritol and polyethylene glycol; the mass ratio of the erythritol to the polyethylene glycol is 1:(0.5-2).

2. The method for improving the smoking taste of heated cigarettes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mesh number of the sieve is 100-120 meshes.

3. The method for improving the smoking taste of heated cigarettes according to claim 1, wherein: The fiber raw material includes any one of wood pulp fiber, straw pulp fiber, hemp pulp fiber or tobacco stem fiber, or a combination of at least two of them.

4. The method for improving the smoking taste of heated cigarettes according to claim 1, wherein: The process of step (3) further comprises a drying step after the film-forming step.

5. The method for improving the smoking taste of heated cigarettes according to claim 4, characterized in that: The drying temperature is 85-95° C., and the drying time is 1-3 hours.

6. The method for improving the smoking taste of heated cigarettes according to claim 1, wherein: The thickness of the heat-not-burn cigarette substrate in step (3) is 0.1-0.2 mm, and the moisture content is 10-15%.

7. A heated cigarette, characterized in that: The heated cigarette is prepared by the method according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

Images