Evaluation method for sensory quality of nicotine

Abstract

The invention discloses a nicotine sensory quality evaluation method, and relates to the technical field of tobacco and tobacco product sensory quality evaluation, and the nicotine sensory quality evaluation method comprises the following steps: mixing an organic acid, a solvent and nicotine to obtain an evaluation sample; and carrying out sensory quality evaluation on the evaluation sample. The organic acid is introduced, and the nicotine is combined with the organic acid, so that part of free nicotine is converted into protic nicotine. Compared with free nicotine, the protic nicotine has lower volatility, can be more distributed in a liquid phase in aerosol, and reduces deposition in the throat, so that the irritation of nicotine to the oral cavity and the nasal cavity of sensory quality evaluation personnel is reduced, the influence on the body of the evaluation personnel is reduced, and the accuracy of sensory quality evaluation is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of sensory quality evaluation of tobacco and tobacco products, and in particular to a method for evaluating the sensory quality of nicotine. Background Art

[0002] With the continuous development of the e-cigarette industry in recent years, the stability of the sensory quality of e-cigarette aerosol liquid has attracted more and more attention from consumers. Nicotine is one of the most important components in e-cigarette aerosol liquid, and its sensory quality has a great impact on the quality of e-cigarette aerosol liquid. However, the sensory quality of nicotine on the market is uneven, which brings great troubles to nicotine manufacturers and e-cigarette aerosol liquid manufacturers. Most sensory quality evaluators lack methods for evaluating the sensory quality of nicotine. There are also a few evaluators who directly use free nicotine to add a certain proportion of propylene glycol and glycerin to mix evenly and then use an atomizer to evaluate the sensory quality. However, this method will bring strong stimulation to the mouth and throat of the sensory quality evaluators, which will greatly affect the accuracy of the sensory quality evaluation results of the evaluators. Summary of the invention

[0003] The main purpose of the present invention is to provide a method for evaluating the sensory quality of nicotine, aiming to reduce the irritation caused by nicotine and reduce the impact of the irritation on the sensory organs of the evaluators.

[0004] The method for evaluating the sensory quality of nicotine comprises the following steps:

[0005] An organic acid, a solvent and nicotine are mixed to obtain an evaluation sample; and a sensory quality evaluation is performed on the evaluation sample.

[0006] Preferably, the solvent comprises propylene glycol and glycerol.

[0007] Preferably, the solvent also includes ethanol.

[0008] Preferably, the organic acid comprises at least one of benzoic acid, citric acid, lactic acid, tartaric acid and malic acid.

[0009] Preferably, the step of mixing the organic acid, the solvent and nicotine to obtain an evaluation sample comprises:

[0010] mixing an organic acid with a solvent to obtain a mixed solution;

[0011] The mixed solution was mixed with nicotine to obtain an evaluation sample.

[0012] Preferably, in the step of mixing the mixed solution with nicotine to obtain an evaluation sample, the mass percentage of nicotine in the evaluation sample is 3.0% to 5.0%.

[0013] Preferably, the solvent includes propylene glycol, glycerol and ethanol, and the step of mixing the organic acid with the solvent to obtain a mixed solution includes:

[0014] Firstly, the organic acid is mixed with ethanol, and then propylene glycol and glycerol are added and mixed to obtain a mixed solution.

[0015] Preferably, the step of first mixing the organic acid with ethanol, and then adding propylene glycol and glycerol to mix to obtain a mixed solution is:

[0016] The mass ratio of the organic acid to ethanol is (2.8-11.1): (5.3-13.7); and / or,

[0017] The mass ratio of the organic acid to propylene glycol is (2.8-11.1): (25.0-50.0); and / or,

[0018] The mass ratio of the organic acid to glycerol is (2.8-11.1):(35.0-60.0).

[0019] Preferably, in the step of performing sensory quality evaluation on the evaluation sample,

[0020] The sensory quality evaluation indicators are moldy aroma, nut aroma, tobacco aroma and bean aroma; the weights of each indicator are 25%, 25%, 25% and 25% respectively;

[0021] The sensory quality evaluation indexes and scores are shown in Table 1:

[0022] Table 1 Sensory quality evaluation indicators and scores

[0023]

[0024] Preferably, the scoring calculation formula is:

[0025]

[0026] in, is the average score of a certain indicator; X is the total score of a certain indicator; n is the number of people involved in the evaluation;

[0027] According to the above formula, the average score of each indicator is calculated, accurate to 0.01;

[0028] The number of evaluators is no less than 7. The sensory quality evaluation indicators and scores are detailed in Table 1. The minimum evaluation unit is 0.5. According to the scores, three sensory quality levels are set from high to low:

[0029] Grade A: The average scores of all sensory indicators are between 8.01 and 10 points;

[0030] Grade B: The average scores of all sensory indicators are greater than 4.00 points, and the average scores of one or more sensory indicators are between 4.01-8.00;

[0031] Grade C: The average score of one or more sensory indicators is ≤ 4 points.

[0032] The present invention provides a method for evaluating the sensory quality of nicotine, wherein organic acid is added, nicotine is combined with the organic acid, and part of the free nicotine is converted into proton nicotine. Compared with free nicotine, proton nicotine has lower volatility, is more distributed in the liquid phase in the aerosol, and has less deposition in the throat, thereby reducing the irritation of the oral cavity and nasal cavity of the sensory quality evaluator caused by nicotine, reducing the impact on the body of the evaluator, and improving the accuracy of the sensory quality evaluation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] To make the purpose, technical scheme and advantages of the embodiment of the present invention clearer, the technical scheme in the embodiment of the present invention will be described clearly and completely below. If the specific conditions are not specified in the embodiment, it is carried out according to the normal conditions or the conditions recommended by the manufacturer. If the reagents or instruments used do not specify the manufacturer, they are all conventional products that can be purchased commercially. In addition, the meaning of "and / or" appearing in the full text includes three parallel schemes, taking "A and / or B" as an example, including scheme A, or scheme B, or schemes that A and B meet at the same time. In addition, the technical schemes between the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but must be based on the ability of ordinary technicians in the field to achieve. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or cannot be achieved, it should be considered that the combination of such technical solutions does not exist, and is not within the scope of protection required by the present invention. Based on the embodiments in the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in the field without making creative work belong to the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0034] Nicotine is one of the most important components in electronic cigarette aerosol liquid, and its sensory quality has a great impact on the quality of electronic cigarette aerosol liquid. However, the sensory quality of nicotine on the market is uneven, which brings great troubles to nicotine manufacturers and electronic cigarette aerosol liquid manufacturers. Most sensory quality evaluators lack the method of nicotine sensory quality evaluation. There are also a few evaluators who directly use free nicotine to add a certain proportion of propylene glycol and glycerin to mix evenly and then use an atomizer to evaluate the sensory quality. However, this method will bring strong stimulation to the mouth and throat of the sensory quality evaluators, which will greatly affect the accuracy of the sensory quality evaluation results of the evaluators.

[0035] In the present invention, the method for evaluating the sensory quality of nicotine comprises the following steps: mixing an organic acid, a solvent and nicotine to obtain an evaluation sample; and performing sensory quality evaluation on the evaluation sample. By introducing an organic acid, nicotine is combined with the organic acid to convert part of the free nicotine into proton nicotine. Compared with free nicotine, proton nicotine has lower volatility, is more distributed in the liquid phase in the aerosol, and has less deposition in the throat, thereby reducing the irritation of the oral cavity and nasal cavity caused by nicotine to the sensory quality evaluator.

[0036] In some embodiments, the solvent includes propylene glycol and glycerol. The propylene glycol has good solubility and can evenly distribute the organic acid and nicotine. The glycerol, as the main atomizer of the electronic cigarette atomizer liquid, can generate a large amount of aerosol when heated, thereby improving the taste and smoothness of the evaluation sample.

[0037] In some embodiments, the solvent further comprises ethanol; the ethanol can increase the solubility of the solid organic acid in the mixed solution.

[0038] In some embodiments, the organic acid includes at least one of benzoic acid, citric acid, lactic acid, tartaric acid and malic acid. The benzoic acid, citric acid, lactic acid, tartaric acid and malic acid are all organic acids with very low aroma intensity, which can better ensure the accuracy of sensory quality evaluation. It should be noted that the organic acid includes at least one of benzoic acid, citric acid, lactic acid, tartaric acid and malic acid, which can be set one by one or can be set simultaneously.

[0039] In some embodiments, the step of mixing the organic acid, the solvent and nicotine to obtain the evaluation sample comprises: mixing the organic acid with the solvent to obtain a mixed solution; and mixing the mixed solution with nicotine to obtain the evaluation sample. The organic acid and nicotine are mixed more evenly in the evaluation sample by means of segmented mixing.

[0040] In some embodiments, in the step of mixing the mixed liquid with nicotine to obtain an evaluation sample, the mass proportion of nicotine in the evaluation sample is 3.0% to 5.0%, and the mass proportion of the mixed liquid is 95.0% to 97.0%. When the nicotine concentration is lower than 3.0%, the aroma sensory performance is not obvious; when the nicotine concentration is higher than 5.0%, the stimulation during inhalation is enhanced, which may bring a stronger throat hit, and the high concentration of nicotine may reduce the sensitivity of oral taste cells to taste, causing sensory fatigue.

[0041] In some embodiments, the solvent includes propylene glycol, glycerol and ethanol, and the step of mixing the organic acid with the solvent to obtain a mixed solution includes: first mixing the organic acid with ethanol, then adding propylene glycol and glycerol to mix, to obtain a mixed solution. Benzoic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid and malic acid exist in crystalline form under normal temperature conditions, and ethanol can further improve their solubility. First, the organic acid is dissolved in ethanol with better dissolution effect, and then propylene glycol and glycerol are added to mix, so that the mixing is more uniform.

[0042] In some embodiments, the step of first mixing the organic acid with ethanol, and then adding propylene glycol and glycerol to obtain a mixed solution is:

[0043] The mass ratio of the organic acid to ethanol is (2.8-11.1): (5.3-13.7). At this ratio, the organic acid to ethanol can ensure that the organic acid is evenly distributed in the mixed liquid, thereby avoiding the precipitation of organic acid crystals; and / or, the mass ratio of the organic acid to propylene glycol is (2.8-11.1): (25.0-50.0). At this ratio, the organic acid to propylene glycol can help reduce the viscosity of the mixed liquid and make it more suitable for the atomizer; and / or, the mass ratio of the organic acid to glycerol is (2.8-11.1): (35.0-60.0). At this ratio, the mixed liquid has good ductility, which improves the atomization effect of the mixed liquid. If the proportion of glycerol is too high, the atomizer core is easily sticky due to its viscous texture. If the above ratios are met at the same time, that is, the mass ratios of organic acid, ethanol, propylene glycol, and glycerin are (2.8-11.1): (5.3-13.7): (25.0-50.0): (35.0-60.0), the mixed liquid can take into account solubility, fluidity, and ductility. Such a ratio can ensure that all ingredients are evenly distributed in the mixed liquid, while avoiding problems caused by improper proportions of a certain ingredient, such as excessive viscosity, precipitation, or uneven mixing, thereby ensuring the atomization effect of the mixed liquid and making the nicotine sensory quality evaluation process more convenient and smooth.

[0044] In some embodiments, in the step of performing sensory quality evaluation on the evaluation sample,

[0045] The sensory quality evaluation indicators are moldy aroma, nut aroma, tobacco aroma and bean aroma; the weights of each indicator are 25%, 25%, 25% and 25% respectively;

[0046] The sensory quality evaluation indexes and scores are shown in Table 1:

[0047] Table 1 Sensory quality evaluation indicators and scores

[0048]

[0049] Nicotine production uses discarded tobacco scraps from tobacco product manufacturers. These scraps are added with various tobacco extracts, tobacco flavors and other complex ingredients during the cigarette production process. They all contain a large amount of flavor substances, such as 2,3,5-trimethylpyrazine, 2-acetylpyridine, furfural, nonanal and vanillin. The alkaloids contained in the tobacco leaves themselves also have a faint aroma, such as nornicotine and mysamine. These flavor substances may not be completely removed during the nicotine production process, resulting in a small amount of impurities in the purified nicotine, which changes the aroma of nicotine. At the same time, if tobacco scraps are not stored properly, complex chemical and microbial reactions will occur, which will also have a negative impact on the sensory quality of nicotine.

[0050] Based on the common ingredients added during the cigarette production process, the effects of some difficult-to-remove components of tobacco on nicotine, and the sensory characteristics of different types of nicotine on the market, the nicotine aroma is classified, and the sensory quality evaluation indicators of nicotine are set, namely, moldy aroma, nutty aroma, tobacco aroma and bean aroma. These four indicators can cover the types of unpopular nicotine aromas on the market to a great extent.

[0051] In some embodiments, the score is calculated as follows:

[0052]

[0053] in, is the average score of a certain indicator; X is the total score of a certain indicator; n is the number of people involved in the evaluation;

[0054] According to the above formula, the average score of each indicator is calculated, accurate to 0.01;

[0055] The number of evaluators is no less than 7. The sensory quality evaluation indicators and scores are detailed in Table 1. The minimum evaluation unit is 0.5. According to the scores, three sensory quality levels are set from high to low:

[0056] Grade A: The average scores of all sensory indicators are between 8.01 and 10 points;

[0057] Grade B: The average scores of all sensory indicators are greater than 4.00 points, and the average scores of one or more sensory indicators are between 4.01-8.00;

[0058] Grade C: The average score of one or more sensory indicators is ≤ 4 points.

[0059] By adopting this scoring rule, the relative importance of different scoring indicators is adjusted by weighting, making the final result more accurate. The three sensory quality levels set can distinguish the sample levels, which are combined with the weighted final results and the individual sensory quality indicators to comprehensively determine the level. In addition, since there is no sensory quality evaluation method for nicotine, the current "YC / T 138-1998 Tobacco and Tobacco Products Sensory Quality Evaluation Method", "GB5606.4-2005 Cigarette Part 4: Sensory Technical Requirements", and the sensory quality evaluation methods for raw materials, processes, finished products, etc. specified by tobacco research institutes or tobacco product manufacturers at all levels cannot be fully applied to nicotine.

[0060] Example 1

[0061] This embodiment provides a method for evaluating the sensory quality of nicotine, which is as follows:

[0062] First, the organic acid is mixed with ethanol, and then propylene glycol and glycerol are added to mix to obtain a mixed solution; then the mixed solution is mixed with nicotine to obtain an evaluation sample.

[0063] The mixed liquid includes the following components by weight: 7.6 parts of benzoic acid, 2.4 parts of citric acid, 11.0 parts of ethanol, 39.0 parts of propylene glycol, and 40.0 parts of glycerol.

[0064] The mass percentage of nicotine in the evaluation sample is 5.0%.

[0065] The evaluation sample was injected into a disposable nebulizer for puff evaluation.

[0066] Eight qualified evaluators were organized, each with a nicotine sensory quality evaluation record form (see Table 2). They conducted sensory quality evaluation on five different batches of nicotine on the market in a secret evaluation manner according to the indicators in Table 1. The statistical results are shown in Table 3.

[0067] The scoring formula is:

[0068]

[0069] in, is the average score of a certain indicator; X is the sum of scores of certain indicators; n is the number of people involved in the evaluation;

[0070] According to the above formula, the average score of each indicator is calculated, accurate to 0.01; the minimum evaluation unit of the score is 0.5; according to the above score, three sensory quality levels are set from high to low:

[0071] Grade A: The average scores of all sensory indicators are between 8.01 and 10 points;

[0072] Grade B: The average scores of all sensory indicators are greater than 4.00 points, and the average scores of one or more sensory indicators are between 4.01-8.00;

[0073] Grade C: The average score of one or more sensory indicators is ≤ 4 points.

[0074] Table 2 Nicotine sensory quality evaluation record

[0075]

[0076]

[0077] Table 3 Statistics of nicotine sensory quality evaluation

[0078]

[0079] Example 2

[0080] This embodiment provides a method for evaluating the sensory quality of nicotine. Compared with Embodiment 1, the difference is that the mixed solution includes the following components: 1.8 parts of lactic acid, 1.3 parts of tartaric acid, 9.0 parts of ethanol, 42.8 parts of propylene glycol, and 40.0 parts of glycerol. The mass proportion of nicotine in the evaluation sample is 4.5%.

[0081] The statistical results are shown in Table 4.

[0082] Table 4 Statistics of nicotine sensory quality evaluation

[0083]

[0084] Comparative Example 1

[0085] Compared with Example 1, this comparative example does not add organic acid, and the evaluation sample is prepared by mixing only propylene glycol, glycerol and nicotine. The evaluation sample includes the following components in parts by weight: 55.0 parts of propylene glycol, 40.0 parts of glycerol, and 5.0 parts of nicotine.

[0086] The statistical results are shown in Table 5.

[0087] Table 5 Statistics of Nicotine Sensory Evaluation

[0088]

[0089] It can be seen from Example 1 (Table 3), Example 2 (Table 4) and Comparative Example 1 (Table 5) that after adding organic acid treatment, after using organic acid to convert free nicotine into proton nicotine in Example 1 and Example 2, the fluctuation range of each evaluation index score and nicotine level becomes larger, which can better highlight the difference in sensory quality of nicotine in different production batches. For example, the fluctuation range of moldy aroma in Example 1 and Example 2 is 3.53-9.66 and 3.67-9.51, respectively, while the fluctuation range of moldy aroma in Comparative Example 1 is 5.42-9.66. It shows that Comparative Example 1 directly performs sensory evaluation on free nicotine, and its strong irritation in the mouth and throat affects the accuracy of the evaluation process. In addition, the nicotine levels of different production batches in Comparative Example 1 fluctuate less, which also reflects the interference of nicotine in the free state with sensory evaluation. In Example 1 and Example 2, the nicotine levels were relatively uniform, especially sample 5# was judged to be grade C nicotine, which further verified the superiority of converting free nicotine into proton nicotine for sensory quality evaluation, making the evaluation results more accurate and consistent.

[0090] The above are only preferred embodiments of the present invention, and do not limit the patent scope of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention may have various changes and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for evaluating the sensory quality of nicotine, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Mixing an organic acid, a solvent, and nicotine to obtain an evaluation sample; The sensory quality of the evaluation samples was evaluated.

2. The method for evaluating the sensory quality of nicotine according to claim 1, wherein: The solvents include propylene glycol and glycerin.

3. The method for evaluating the sensory quality of nicotine according to claim 2, wherein: The solvent also includes ethanol.

4. The method for evaluating the sensory quality of nicotine according to claim 1, wherein: The organic acid includes at least one of benzoic acid, citric acid, lactic acid, tartaric acid and malic acid.

5. The method for evaluating the sensory quality of nicotine according to claim 1, wherein: The step of mixing the organic acid, the solvent and nicotine to obtain an evaluation sample comprises: mixing an organic acid with a solvent to obtain a mixed solution; The mixed solution was mixed with nicotine to obtain an evaluation sample.

6. The method for evaluating the sensory quality of nicotine according to claim 5, wherein: In the step of mixing the mixed solution with nicotine to obtain an evaluation sample, the mass percentage of nicotine in the evaluation sample is 3.0% to 5.0%.

7. The method for evaluating the sensory quality of nicotine according to claim 5, wherein: The solvent includes propylene glycol, glycerol and ethanol, and the step of mixing the organic acid with the solvent to obtain a mixed solution includes: Firstly, the organic acid is mixed with ethanol, and then propylene glycol and glycerol are added and mixed to obtain a mixed solution.

8. The method for evaluating the sensory quality of nicotine according to claim 7, wherein: The step of first mixing the organic acid with ethanol, and then adding propylene glycol and glycerol to mix to obtain a mixed solution: The mass ratio of the organic acid to ethanol is (2.8-11.1): (5.3-13.7); and / or, The mass ratio of the organic acid to propylene glycol is (2.8-11.1): (25.0-50.0); and / or, The mass ratio of the organic acid to glycerol is (2.8-11.1):(35.0-60.0).

9. The method for evaluating the sensory quality of nicotine according to claim 1, wherein: In the step of performing sensory quality evaluation on the evaluation sample, The sensory quality evaluation indicators are moldy aroma, nut aroma, tobacco aroma and bean aroma; the weights of each indicator are 25%, 25%, 25% and 25% respectively; Table 1 Sensory quality evaluation indicators and scores The sensory quality evaluation indicators and scores are shown in Table 1.

10. The method for evaluating the sensory quality of nicotine according to claim 9, wherein: The score is calculated as follows: Among them, X is the average score of a certain indicator; ΣX is the total score of a certain indicator; n is the number of people involved in the evaluation; According to the above formula, the average score of each indicator is calculated, accurate to 0.01; The number of evaluators is no less than 7. The sensory quality evaluation indicators and scores are detailed in Table 1. The minimum evaluation unit is 0.

5. According to the scores, three sensory quality levels are set from high to low: Grade A: The average scores of all sensory indicators are between 8.01 and 10 points; Grade B: The average scores of all sensory indicators are greater than 4.00 points, and the average scores of one or more sensory indicators are between 4.01-8.00; Grade C: The average score of one or more sensory indicators is ≤ 4 points.

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