Freeze-Dried Oral Snuff Moisture Control and pH Stability

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing oral smokeless tobacco and non-tobacco snuff products face challenges with limited shelf life due to high moisture content, pH instability, and inferior organoleptic properties, which are exacerbated by moisture migration and storage conditions.

Innovation Solution

The development of a freeze-dried oral smokeless tobacco or non-tobacco snuff product with a moisture content of less than 15 weight-%, manufactured by processing a mixture of tobacco or non-tobacco material, water, and salt, followed by freeze-drying, allowing the product to be stored at room temperature without refrigeration while preserving organoleptic properties.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If moisture content is increased to 30-60 weight-% to improve organoleptic properties, then mouth feel and texture are enhanced, but shelf life is limited and pH instability occurs

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemouth feel and textureVSAvoidpH stability and shelf life

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention applies parameter changes by reducing moisture content from the conventional 30-60 weight-% range down to 30-20 weight-%, creating a semi-dry product that achieves a balance between organoleptic properties and storage stability. This parameter modification allows the product to maintain acceptable mouth feel and texture while significantly improving pH stability and extending shelf life without requiring refrigeration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If moisture content is reduced to extend shelf life and improve pH stability, then storage conditions are improved, but organoleptic properties deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovepH stability and shelf lifeVSAvoidmouth feel and texture

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The invention optimizes the moisture content parameter to a specific range of 30-20 weight-%, which is lower than conventional moist snuff but higher than fully dried products. This optimized parameter level maintains sufficient organoleptic properties while achieving improved pH stability and extended shelf life, resolving the trade-off between quality and stability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Reliability

If refrigeration is used to preserve moist snuff products, then flavour and aroma degradation is prevented, but storage complexity and energy consumption increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflavour and aroma stabilityVSAvoidstorage conditions

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the moisture content parameter to create a semi-dry product that is stable at room temperature, eliminating the need for refrigeration. This parameter modification allows the product to maintain flavour and aroma stability under simpler storage conditions, reducing both device complexity and energy consumption while preserving quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Reliability

If freeze drying is applied to reduce moisture content, then shelf life and pH stability are improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovepH stability and shelf lifeVSAvoidmanufacturing process

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The invention employs freeze drying, which utilizes phase transitions of water (freezing followed by sublimation under vacuum) to remove moisture from the snuff product. This process achieves low moisture content (30-20 weight-%) that ensures pH stability and extended shelf life, while the manufacturing complexity is managed through established freeze drying technology.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #36Phase transitions

5Ease of operation

If moisture content is maintained at high levels, then organoleptic properties are preserved, but moisture migration causes packaging discoloration

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemouth feel and textureVSAvoidmoisture migration and discoloration

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The invention reduces moisture content to 30-20 weight-%, which is sufficient to maintain organoleptic properties but low enough to prevent moisture migration to packaging. This parameter change eliminates the harmful effect of discoloration while preserving product quality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The freeze-dried product exhibits significantly improved pH stability and extended shelf life, maintaining comparable organoleptic properties to moist snuff products, with reduced moisture migration and discoloration of packaging, enabling storage for several years without refrigeration.

Implementation Method 1

c) freeze drying the processed mixture

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFreeze drying: Freeze Drying

Implementation Method 2

freeze dried oral smokeless tobacco snuff or non-tobacco snuff product

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectSublimation: Sublimation

Data Source

PatentEP2983532B1Freeze dried oral smokeless tobacco snuff or non-tobacco snuff product and method of manufacturing thereof

Publication Date: 2019.10.16 SWEDISH MATCH NORTH EURO

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AI summary

A freeze dried oral smokeless tobacco snuff or non-tobacco snuff product and a method of manufacturing the freeze dried oral smokeless tobacco snuff or non-tobacco snuff product.