Oral pouch-like product containing liquid-permeable coating material and filling material

Abstract

1. An oral pouch-like product (1) comprising a liquid-permeable covering material (2) enclosing a fill material (3), the fill material comprising a particulate material consisting of water-insoluble particles, and one or more water-soluble ingredients in addition to the particulate material. The particles (4) of the particulate material have a particle density and a bulk density, the particle density being less than 0.9 g / cm. 3 ~2.0g / cm 3 and at least 1.4 times greater than the bulk density of the particulate material. The filler material has a pre-use moisture content of between 1% by weight of the filler material and 35% by weight of the filler material (3), and either does not contain tobacco material or contains tobacco material in an amount ranging from 0.05 wt% to 10 wt%, based on the total weight of the filler material.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This disclosure relates to an oral pouch product comprising a liquid-permeable coating material, a liquid-insoluble particulate material, and a single-dose filling material comprising the particulate material plus one or more water-soluble components, wherein the filling material is enclosed in the liquid-permeable coating material, and the particles of the particulate material have particle density and bulk density. [Background technology]

[0002] The oral pouch products disclosed herein are intended for use in the oral cavity, for example, by placing them on the cheek, or by placing the pouch product between the upper or lower gums and the lip or cheek. Smokeless tobacco pouch products may also be referred to as oral portion pack smokeless tobacco products. The pouch products are typically sized and constructed to fit comfortably and discreetly in the user's mouth between the upper or lower gums and the lip or cheek.

[0003] Traditionally, oral pouch products are used in the consumer's mouth and provide the user with the benefits of active substances, such as nicotine, caffeine, and / or various flavorings. A common type of nicotine-containing oral pouch product is an oral smokeless tobacco product. Such products typically contain water, salt, pH adjusters, and further ingredients, such as flavorings and humectants. These products are commonly referred to as snuff.

[0004] Oral pouch-type nicotine-containing products that contain little to no tobacco are becoming increasingly popular among consumers, particularly due to their appealing appearance, freshness, and taste. Furthermore, these products allow users to enjoy nicotine without exposure to tobacco. Oral pouch-type products that contain little to no tobacco are typically flavored compositions containing a filler material that may include, for example, microcrystalline cellulose or fibrous materials derived from plants other than tobacco.

[0005] Tobacco-free oral pouch products are typically relatively dry, with a pre-use moisture content below 35% by mass of the filling material, and often below 20% by mass. Oral pouch products with even lower moisture content, around 4-10% by mass of the filling material, are also known in this field.

[0006] Further types of oral pouch products are designed to deliver only flavorings into the oral cavity, as well as to deliver active substances other than nicotine.

[0007] Oral pouch products are typically used by consumers by placing a pouch between the upper or lower gums and lips and maintaining it there for a limited period of time. The product is designed to fit comfortably and discreetly in the user's mouth. The pouch material holds the filler material in place and allows saliva to enter the filler material, allowing flavorings and active substances, such as nicotine, to diffuse from the filler material into the consumer's mouth. [Prior art documents] [Non-patent literature]

[0008] [Non-Patent Document 1] Federal Gazette / vol. 74, no. 4 / 712-719 / Wednesday, January 7, 2009 / Notice "Total moisture determination" [Non-Patent Document 2] AOAC (Association of Official Analytical Chemics), Official Methods of Analysis 966.02: "Moisture in Tobacco" (1990), 5th edition, K. Helrich (ed.) [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] The objective of the disclosure herein is to provide an oral pouch product containing a filling material that has improved properties, such as mouthfeel, user satisfaction, and rapid release of ingredients, such as activators and flavorings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The above objective can be achieved by the oral pouch product described in claim 1. Variations of this disclosure are shown in the dependent claims and the following description.

[0011] The oral pouch products disclosed herein comprise a liquid-permeable coating material, a particulate material consisting of non-water-soluble particles, and a filler material comprising the particulate material plus one or more water-soluble components. The filler material is enclosed within the liquid-permeable coating material. The particles of the particulate material have a particle density and a bulk density. The particles of the particulate material have a density of 0.9 g / cm³. 3 ~2.0g / cm 3 The particle density is within the following range. The particle density is at least 1.4 times greater than the bulk density of the particle material. The filler material has a pre-use moisture content of 1% to 35% by mass of the filler material. The filler material does not contain tobacco material, or the filler material contains an amount of tobacco material ranging from 0.05 wt% to 10 wt% based on the total mass of the filler material.

[0012] The particle density of a particulate material can be 1.4 to 5 times greater than its bulk density, for example, 1.5 to 4 times greater than the bulk density of the particulate material.

[0013] Particle density 0.9g / cm 3 In this case, the bulk density of the particulate material is 0.6 g / cm³. 3 The following is true: Particle density 2 g / cm³ 3 In this case, the bulk density of the particulate material is 1.4 g / cm³. 3 The following applies:

[0014] The difference between the particle density and the bulk density reflects the amount of void volume in the filling material created by the gaps between the water-insoluble particles of the particle material. When the difference between the particle density and the bulk density is small, the amount of void volume in the filling material is small. For example, if there is no difference or substantially no difference between the particle density and the bulk density, there is no or substantially no void volume. In contrast, when the difference between the particle density and the bulk density is large, the amount of void volume becomes large. The large void volume results in a correspondingly large amount of saliva contained in most of the filling material. The gaps between the particles form a macroscale network of channels in the filling material, through which saliva can flow into and out of the filling material. The water-soluble components in the filling material can be easily dissolved in saliva and can rapidly move from the filling material in the macroscale channels formed by the gaps between the water-insoluble particles, which results in a rapid release of the water-soluble components into the user's oral cavity. The mechanical movement of the sachet during use can also serve to facilitate the movement of saliva and the rapid release of water-soluble components in the filling material by changing the structure of the channel network, thereby creating a "pumping effect" in the mass of the filling material.

[0015] The filling material in the sachet-shaped product disclosed in the present specification has a moisture content before use determined by the method disclosed in the present specification of 1% to 35% by mass of the filling material. The filling material in the sachet-shaped product disclosed in the present specification can have a moisture content before use determined by the method disclosed in the present specification of 1% to 30% by mass of the filling material, such as 1% to 25% by mass of the filling material, such as 1% to 20% by mass of the filling material, such as 1% to 15% by mass of the filling material, such as 1% to 7% by mass of the filling material, such as 5% to 30% by mass of the filling material, such as 5% to 25% by mass of the filling material, such as 5% to 20% by mass of the filling material, such as 5% to 15% by mass of the filling material, such as 10% to 20% by mass of the filling material, such as 10% to 15% by mass of the filling material.

[0016] In the sachet-shaped product disclosed in this specification, it may be preferable that the water content of the filling material is less than 20% by mass.

[0017] The filling material having the relatively low water content before use set as described above in the sachet-shaped product disclosed in this specification is understood by the user to be fresh and easy to handle when taken out of the user container and placed, for example, between the upper or lower lip and the gum of the user. The relatively low water content before use also allows the particles of the particulate material that makes up most of the volume of the filling material to move more freely relative to each other, making it easier for the sachet-shaped product to take shape and be made to conform to the shape of the space in the user's oral cavity where the sachet-shaped product is placed.

[0018] The particulate material in the filling material is a water-insoluble particle. The water-insoluble particle can be a particle of microcrystalline cellulose, water-insoluble starch, silica, or a mixture thereof.

[0019] The water-insoluble particles of the particulate material are 3 ~2.0 g / cm 3 in the range, for example, 1.0 g / cm 3 ~1.7 g / cm 3 、 for example, 1.0 g / cm 3 ~1.5 g / cm 3 、 for example, 1.1 g / cm 3 ~1.4 g / cm 3 and are high-density non-porous particles having a particle density in this range.

[0020] By using high-density non-porous water-insoluble particles, since there is essentially no water-soluble component or only a small amount of water-soluble component in the pores of the water-insoluble particles of the particulate material in the filling material, the rapid release of the water-soluble component from the filling material can be promoted.

[0021] The non-water-soluble particles of the particulate material can constitute 75% to 99% of the dry mass of the filler material, for example, 85% to 98% or 95% to 98% of the dry mass of the filler material. The particles of the particulate material can constitute 85% to 99% of the dry mass of the filler material.

[0022] The volume of water-insoluble particulate material in the filling material preferably defines the volume of the filling material, and any further components of the filling material of the oral pouch product contribute to the volume of the filling material to an insignificant or very small extent. As used herein, “very small extent” means that the contribution to the volume of the filling material by non-particulate components of the particulate material is less than 5%, for example less than 3%, less than 2%, preferably less than 1%.

[0023] The oral pouch product of this disclosure may have a post-use volume that is approximately the same as the volume of the oral pouch product before use. This means that the volume of the oral pouch product may remain largely unchanged during use, which is a characteristic of oral pouch products that has been found to be preferred by many users. An oral pouch product that does not lose volume during use can be understood as satisfactory in maintaining the mouthfeel of a new, unused product, being more malleable, and lasting longer in the mouth.

[0024] The particles of the particulate material in the filler material are preferably relatively large, and can have an average particle size in the range of 0.3 mm to 3.0 mm, for example 0.4 mm to 3.0 mm, for example 0.3 mm to 2.5 mm, for example 0.4 mm to 2.5 mm, for example 0.5 mm to 2.5 mm, for example 0.6 mm to 2.5 mm, for example 0.7 mm to 2 mm, for example 0.8 mm to 1.5 mm, for example 0.85 mm to 1.2 mm.

[0025] The particles of the particulate material in the filler material can usually be the same size and have a narrow particle size distribution profile.

[0026] The particles of the particulate material in the filler material are preferably spherical, or spherical particles having a sphericity in the range of 0.7 to 1.0, for example 0.8 to 1.0, and a diameter of 0.3 mm to 3 mm, for example 0.4 mm to 3 mm, for example 0.7 mm to 3 mm.

[0027] Sphericity and particle size can be determined using a QicPic image analyzer from 2012, Sympatec GmbH, ID No. 290-D, or an equivalent instrument, equipped with a Rodos / L dispersion line, ID NO 214D, and a Vibri / L sample feeder, ID NO 273. A well-dispersed flow of particles is passed across the entire image plane of the instrument. For small particles, a large number of particles can be captured per image frame, for example, 50,000 to 100,000 particles per image frame. For larger particles, for example, particles with a particle size of 300 μm to 3000 μm, the number of particles per image frame will be considerably smaller, possibly 300 to 2000 particles per image frame.

[0028] The particulate material in the packing material disclosed herein may include particles that are small enough to pass through a sieve having a mesh size of 250 μm, comprising less than 0.5%.

[0029] A mesh size of 250 μm corresponds to the particle size of small to medium-sized sand particles. Such particles, especially if they are insoluble, can cause a rough, dry mouthfeel that can linger for a long time after the product has been placed in the mouth, making them extremely unpleasant if they leak from the coating material into the user's mouth.

[0030] Small and fine particles in the filling material can also cause powder scattering problems during the manufacture of oral pouch products, as they can interfere with seal formation and cause clogging of mechanical parts. From a health and hygiene perspective, it is desirable to minimize the amount of powder in the manufacturing process.

[0031] The filling material for oral pouch products disclosed herein may contain nicotine.

[0032] The large void volume between particles in the particulate material contributes to providing oral pouch products that have a rapid release rate of nicotine and other active ingredients, flavorings, sweeteners, etc. present in the oral pouch product.

[0033] Nicotine can be added to the particle material of the filler in the form of a nicotine compound. The nicotine compound may be a nicotine base and / or selected from the group consisting of nicotine hydrochloride, nicotine dihydrochloride, nicotine tartrate, nicotine hydrogen tartrate, nicotine hydrogen tartrate dihydrate, nicotine sulfate, nicotine zinc chloride monohydrate, and nicotine salicylate, nicotine benzoate, nicotine polarilex, and any combination thereof.

[0034] The filling materials for oral pouch products disclosed herein are tobacco-free filling materials or filling materials with a low tobacco content, and the filling material contains tobacco material in an amount ranging from 0.05 wt% to 10 wt%, for example, 0.05 wt% to 1 wt%, or 0.2 wt% to 1 wt%, based on the total mass of the filling material. In such cases, the tobacco material may be a nicotine source. The tobacco material may be the sole nicotine source, or it may be a nicotine source in addition to one or more of the nicotine compounds disclosed herein. The particle material in the filling materials disclosed herein preferably consists of tobacco-free particles, such as tobacco-free microcrystalline cellulose particles, water-insoluble starch particles, silica particles, or a mixture of two or more different types of tobacco-free particles. The tobacco-free filling material or tobacco-free particles may contain trace amounts of tobacco less than 0.05 wt%.

[0035] The filling materials for oral pouch products disclosed herein may include additives selected from the group consisting of flavoring agents, sweeteners, humectants, and any mixture thereof.

[0036] The additives may include or consist of flavoring agents, such as flavoring oils, such as hydrophobic flavoring oils, such as synthetic flavorings, or such flavorings identical to natural products.

[0037] The filling materials for oral pouch products disclosed herein may be tobacco-free. Tobacco-free filling materials may include materials derived from other plant sources, such as coffee, tea, herbs, etc., and / or any suitable flavorings, sweeteners, etc., known in the art.

[0038] One or more water-soluble components and other additives are preferably added to the water-insoluble particles of the particulate material in the filler after the water-insoluble particles have been formed. One or more water-soluble components and other additives can be added to the water-insoluble particles as a liquid / aqueous mixture. All added components can be contained in the same mixture. Alternatively, different components can be added in different addition steps; for example, flavoring agents can be added in a separate step from activators, such as nicotine. By adding one or more water-soluble components and other additives to pre-formed water-insoluble particles, the majority of the additives remain on the surface of the water-insoluble particles and do not penetrate into the interior of the water-insoluble particles, thereby ensuring that all or substantially all of the additives are present on the surface of the water-insoluble particles in the filler. The water-insoluble particles are preferably homogeneous hydrophilic particles, such as one or more particles of microcrystalline cellulose, water-insoluble starch, and silica. Furthermore, it may be preferable that the water-insoluble particles consist of one or more single-component particles of microcrystalline cellulose, water-insoluble starch, and silica.

[0039] In the bag-like products disclosed herein, at least one of the one or more water-soluble components may be present on at least some surfaces of the particles of the particulate material in the filling material, for example, at 20% to 100% of the particles, or at 50% to 100%, or at 80% to 100% of the particles.

[0040] In the bag-like products disclosed herein, at least one of the one or more water-soluble components may be present in the spaces between particles of the particulate material in the filling material.

[0041] If all or at least the majority of one or more water-soluble components are present on the surface and / or in the gaps between particles in the filler material, as opposed to being trapped in the pores of the particles in the particulate material, then nearly complete release of the active substance from the filler material can ideally be achieved.

[0042] At least one of the one or more water-soluble components can be present both on at least some surfaces of the particles of the particulate material in the filler material, and in the gaps between the particles in the filler material.

[0043] It is preferable that water-soluble components of the filling material, such as nicotine, flavoring agents, and sweeteners, are not present or substantially absent in the internal pore structure of the particles of the filling material.

[0044] The filling material for oral pouch products, as disclosed herein, may contain multiple types of particles. Thus, non-water-soluble particles of the particle material constitute a first type of particle, and a second type of particle may differ from the first type of particle in one or more properties, such as size, shape, or composition. The second type of particle may be non-water-soluble particles, or it may be completely or partially water-soluble particles.

[0045] The liquid-permeable coating material for oral pouch-like products can be a nonwoven fabric, such as a nonwoven fabric containing regenerated cellulose staple fibers. The staple fibers can be viscose staple fibers, and the nonwoven fabric may further contain a binder.

[0046] definition The terms “oral” and “for oral use” refer to the use of a product that comes into contact with the mucous membranes in the human oral cavity, for example, by placing the product in the mouth on the cheek. The oral products disclosed herein are intended to be placed in the oral cavity as a whole and are not intended to be swallowed.

[0047] As used herein, the term “oral pouch product” or “oral pouch product” means the portion of a smokeless composition containing a saliva extract, packaged in a saliva-permeable pouch material.

[0048] As used herein, “particle” refers to a three-dimensional piece of material having a maximum dimension of less than 5 mm and an aspect ratio of 0.3 to 1. As used herein, “aspect ratio” refers to A R、 w is calculated as the particle width w divided by the particle length l, where the length is determined as the longest dimension of the particle and the width is determined as the longest dimension perpendicular to the length: A R = w / l. Particles having an aspect ratio of 1 may be, for example, perfect spheres or cubes. Particles useful as part of the filling material for oral pouch products disclosed herein may have a regular shape, such as spherical, cubic, cylindrical, etc., or an irregular shape, but a regular or nearly regular shape is usually preferred. Particles may usually have a smooth outer surface, or they may have slight deviations on their outer surface.

[0049] As used herein, “water-insoluble particles” are particles that do not dissolve when exposed to saliva in the user’s mouth and maintain or substantially maintain their shape when incorporated into an oral pouch product. Water-insoluble also means that the particle size of the water-insoluble particles referred to herein does not decrease or decreases by at least 1% during use of the oral pouch product incorporating the water-insoluble particles. The shape and size of the water-insoluble particles may remain substantially unaffected during use. However, a certain amount of swelling of the water-insoluble particles may be acceptable or desirable. The swelling should preferably be less than 30% of the pre-use volume of the water-insoluble particles, more preferably less than 20% of the pre-use volume of the water-insoluble particles.

[0050] As used herein, the term “moisture content” means the mass percentage (wt%) of oven-volatile substances present in a constituent material, composition, or product, as determined according to the loss on drying (LOD) method disclosed herein, such as water and other oven-volatile substances (such as propylene glycol).

[0051] The "dry mass" of a material, composition, or product is calculated by subtracting the amount of water from the total mass of the material, composition, or product, and the water content is determined by the loss on drying (LOD) method disclosed herein.

[0052] As used herein, the term "water content" means the mass percentage (wt%) of water in a constituent material, composition, or product. The water content can be determined by standard methods of water quality analysis, such as Karl Fischer titration or gas chromatography (GC).

[0053] The term “further components” means any components other than water present in addition to the particles of the particulate material in the filling materials disclosed herein, such as salts (e.g., sodium chloride, potassium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, and any combination thereof), pH adjusters (e.g., sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate, or sodium bicarbonate), flavoring agents, sweeteners, colorants, humectants (e.g., propylene glycol or glycerol), antioxidants, preservatives (e.g., potassium sorbate), binders, tobacco, and non-tobacco plant materials. Water-soluble components that are part of the filling material in the oral pouch products disclosed herein constitute one or more further components.

[0054] The term “flavoring” or “flavoring agent” is used herein to refer to a substance used to influence the aroma and / or taste of an oral pouch product. Flavorings may be any food-grade natural or synthetic flavoring known in the art, and may include, but are not limited to, essential oils, single flavoring compounds, complex flavorings, and extracts.

[0055] "Tobacco" or "tobacco material" refers to any part of any member of the genus Nicotiana, such as leaves, petioles, stems, and flowers.

[0056] As used herein, “covering material” means any suitable saliva-permeable packaging material known in the art. The covering material may also be called “sachet material,” and may be a nonwoven material, a material produced by conventional textile manufacturing methods, e.g., weaving or knitting, or a plastic film or mesh with an opening. Suitable nonwoven materials for use as covering materials may be nonwoven materials comprising staple fibers, e.g., regenerated cellulose staple fibers, e.g., viscose rayon staple fibers, and a binder, e.g., a polyacrylate binder. Such nonwoven materials are generally produced by carding staple fibers to form a fiber web, and then integrating the carded fiber web with a binder. Alternatively, the nonwoven material may include fibers formed into a nonwoven web by spunbonding, water entanglement, meltblowing, etc. The fibers used in such processes are typically thermoplastic fibers that thermally bond to form an adhesive nonwoven web. The covering material may optionally contain further components, e.g., flavorings and / or colorings.

[0057] Oral pouches are typically sized and constructed to fit comfortably and discreetly in the user's mouth between the upper or lower gums and lips. Oral pouches usually have a standard rectangular shape. Some typical shapes (length × width) of commercially available oral pouches include, for example, 35mm × 20mm, 34 / 35mm × 14mm, 33 / 34mm × 18mm, 27 / 28mm × 14mm, 34mm × 10mm, and 38mm × 14mm. A typical oral pouch may have a maximum length in the longitudinal direction of the product ranging from 25mm to 40mm, and a maximum width in the transverse direction ranging from 5mm to 20mm. The thickness of the pouch before use is typically in the range of 2mm to 8mm. The total mass of commercially available oral pouches is typically in the range of approximately 0.3g to 3.5g per pouch, for example, approximately 0.5g to 1.7g. The volume of the filling material portion of the small bag is 0.5 cm³, depending on the size of the small bag. 3 ~1.5cm 3 It can be within the range of

[0058] The “user container” typically includes a range of 10 to 30 pouch products, for example, a range of 20 to 25 pouch products. The pouch products may be placed randomly in the user container, or in a pattern such as that described in WO2012 / 069505A1. The user containers disclosed herein are consumer packaging having a shape and size suitable for conveniently carrying the consumer packaging in a pocket or handbag, and can be used to package any known type of oral pouch product. The user container may include a disposable portion for storing used oral pouch products. The disposable portion is separated from the portion of the container in which new oral pouch products are stored until use.

[0059] The present invention is further described below herein with reference to the accompanying drawings and using examples that are not limited to it. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0060] [Figure 1] This figure shows a pouch-shaped product for oral use. [Figure 2] This figure shows a cross-section along the line II-II passing through the bag-shaped product in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This figure shows ordinary spherical particles suitable for use in the oral pouch products disclosed herein. [Figure 4a] This figure shows several alternative particle shapes. [Figure 4b] This figure shows several alternative particle shapes. [Figure 4c] This figure shows several alternative particle shapes. [Figure 4d] This figure shows several alternative particle shapes. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0061] It should be understood that the drawings are schematic, and individual components are not necessarily drawn to a consistent scale.

[0062] The oral pouch product 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a single-use amount of filling material 3 containing a liquid-permeable coating material 2 and a non-water-soluble particulate material consisting of a plurality of particles 4 enclosed in the liquid-permeable coating material 2. The coating material 2 can be any suitable type of coating material disclosed herein and is formed into a regular rectangular pouch into which the filling material 3 is inserted. The particulate material consists of non-water-soluble particles.

[0063] A common method for producing a bag-like product having a typical rectangular pillow shape, such as bag-like product 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2, involves either supplying the covering material as a seamless end-to-end tube, or forming a flat web of the covering material to create an end-to-end tube with continuous seals in the longitudinal direction of the end-to-end tube. Subsequently, the end-to-end tube is intermittently sealed in the transverse direction of the end-to-end tube, while the end-to-end tube is filled with a filler material to create pockets between the transverse seals. Individual bag-like products are cut from the filled and sealed covering material tubes and are usually packaged in user containers. The covering material can be sealed by any suitable method or combination of methods, such as adhesive, heat sealing, ultrasonic welding, sewing, etc. Heat sealing and ultrasonic welding require that the covering material contain at least a functional amount of thermoplastic material, such as thermoplastic fibers or a thermoplastic binder.

[0064] The longitudinal seals generated during manufacturing appear as longitudinal seals 6 extending along the length l of the bag-like product 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2. Such seals are not present when the covering material is supplied in the form of a seamless tube with end-to-end connections. Transverse seals form end seals 7 that define the width w of the bag-like product 1. The bag-like product 1 has a first main surface 8 and a second main surface 9, and a thickness t defined as the largest orthogonal distance between the first main surface 8 and the second main surface 9.

[0065] The particles 4 of the particulate material can constitute a very high proportion of the total dry mass of the filler material 3, for example, 75% to 99% of the dry mass of the filler material, as shown herein.

[0066] The filling material 3 further comprises one or more water-soluble components 11, such as flavorings, sweeteners, active ingredients, such as nicotine, as disclosed herein.

[0067] A portion of the filling material 3 for the oral pouch product disclosed herein is shown in Figure 3, and the filling material 3 comprises a plurality of ordinary spherical non-water-soluble particles 4.

[0068] The particles 4 of the filler material can have a relatively large average particle size in the range of 0.3 mm to 3.0 mm. By using large non-water-soluble particles for the particles 4 of the particle material in the filler material 3, the majority of the water-soluble components 11, i.e., components soluble in water and saliva, can be present to a considerable extent on the surface of the particles 4 facing the gaps 12 between the particles 4 in the filler material 3. In this way, all water-soluble components 12 can be substantially "hidden" in the mass of the filler material 3, without increasing, or substantially increasing, the volume of the filler material 3.

[0069] Figure 3 shows only a very small number of particles 4. In a complete portion of the filling material 3 for the oral pouch product 1, the number of particles 4 in the particle material is considerably larger, for example, more than 150 particles, which means that the majority of the particle surface is located inside the filling material 3.

[0070] As disclosed herein, the particles 4 of the particulate material are 0.9 g / cm³ 3 ~2.0g / cm 3 A range, for example, 1.0 g / cm³ 3 ~1.5g / cm 3 For example, 1.0 g / cm³ 3 ~1.7g / cm 3 , or 1.1 g / cm³ 3 ~1.4g / cm 3 These can be high-density nonporous particles having a particle density of . In such high-density nonporous particles, the water-soluble component 11 is not present in the particles 4 themselves, or is substantially absent.

[0071] Figures 4a, 4b, 4c, and 4d show some alternative shapes of the particles 4 of the filler material 3 disclosed herein.

[0072] The particle 4 shown in Figure 4a is substantially cubic, the particle 4 shown in Figure 4b is granular, the particle 4 shown in Figure 4c is substantially cylindrical, and the particle 4 shown in Figure 4d has an irregular shape. The particle 4 in Figure 4a has an aspect ratio A of approximately 1. R Particle 4, shown in Figures 4b to 4d, has an aspect ratio of =w / l, while particle 4 has a smaller aspect ratio.

[0073] Methods for determining moisture content, loss on drying, LOD The moisture content as used herein can be determined by the method based on the reference, Federal Register / vol.74, no.4 / 712-719 / Posted Wednesday, January 7, 2009, "Total moisture determination" and the AOAC (Association of Official Analytical Chemics), Official Methods of Analysis 966.02: "Moisture in Tobacco" (1990), 5th edition, edited by K. Helrich. In this method, a 2.5 ± 0.25 g sample is taken before evaporation of water and after dehydration is complete, and the moisture content is determined by gravimetric measurement by weighing the sample under ambient conditions specified herein at a temperature of 22°C and a relative humidity of 60%. In the experiments described herein, a Mettler Toledo HB43 moisture meter and a balance equipped with halogen heating technology are used (in place of the oven and balance in the aforementioned reference). The sample is heated to 105°C (instead of the 99.5±0.5°C mentioned in the reference above). If the mass change is less than 1 mg during a 90-second time frame, the measurement is stopped. The water content of the sample as a mass percentage is then automatically calculated using the HB43 moisture meter. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0074] 1 bag-shaped product 2. Liquid-permeable coating material 3 Filling material 4 particles 6 Vertical stickers 7. Edge seal 8. First main surface 9. Second main surface 11 Water-soluble components 12 gaps

Claims

1. An oral pouch-shaped product (1) comprising a liquid-permeable coating material (2), a particulate material consisting of water-insoluble particles, and a filling material (3) containing one or more water-soluble components in addition to the particulate material, The filling material (3) is sealed in the liquid permeable coating material (2), and the particles (4) of the particulate material have particle density and bulk density. The particles (4) of the aforementioned particulate material are 0.9 g / cm³ ３ ~2.0 g / cm ３ Having a particle density in the range, A bag-shaped product (1) characterized in that the particle density is at least 1.4 times greater than the bulk density of the particle material, the filling material (3) has a pre-use water content of 1% by mass to 35% by mass of the filling material (3), and the filling material (3) does not contain tobacco material, or the filling material (3) contains an amount of tobacco material in the range of 0.05 wt% to 10 wt% based on the total mass of the filling material.

2. The bag-shaped product (1) according to claim 1, wherein the particle density is 1.4 to 5 times greater than the bulk density of the particle material, for example, 1.5 to 4 times greater than the bulk density of the particle material.

3. The bag-shaped product (1) according to claim 1, wherein the particles (4) of the particulate material may include or consist of water-insoluble hydrophilic particles (4), such as microcrystalline cellulose, water-insoluble starch, silica, or mixtures thereof.

4. The bag-shaped product (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the particles (4) of the particulate material constitute 75% to 99% by dry mass of the filler material (3), for example, 85% to 99% by dry mass of the filler material (3).

5. The bag-shaped product (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the particles (4) of the particulate material have an average particle size in the range of 0.3 mm to 3.0 mm, for example, in the range of 0.7 mm to 3.0 mm.

6. The bag-shaped product (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the particulate material comprises less than 0.5% of particles small enough to pass through a sieve having a mesh size of 250 μm.

7. The bag-shaped product (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the filling material (3) contains nicotine added to the filling material in the form of a nicotine compound, such as a nicotine base and / or a nicotine salt.

8. The bag-shaped product (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the filling material (3) includes an additive selected from the group consisting of flavoring agents, sweeteners, humectants, and mixtures thereof.

9. The bag-shaped product (1) according to claim 8, wherein the additive contains or comprises a flavoring agent, such as a flavoring oil, such as a hydrophobic flavoring oil, such as a synthetic flavoring agent, such as a flavoring agent identical to a natural product.

10. The bag-shaped product (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein at least one of one or more water-soluble components (11) is present on at least some of the particles (4) of the particulate material, for example, on 20% to 100% of the surface of the particles (4) of the particulate material, or on 50% to 100% of the surface of the particles (4) of the particulate material, or on 80% to 100% of the surface of the particles (4) of the particulate material.

11. The bag-shaped product (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein at least one of one or more water-soluble components (11) is present in the gaps (12) between the particles (4) of the particle material.

12. The bag-shaped product (1) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the liquid-permeable coating material (2) is a nonwoven fabric material, for example, a nonwoven fabric material containing staple fibers of regenerated cellulose.

13. The bag-shaped product (1) according to claim 7, wherein the tobacco material is a nicotine source in addition to the nicotine compound.

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