Smokeless Tobacco

Abstract

A smokeless tobacco formulation includes particles or pieces of tobacco, and may include other ingredients, such as salts, sweeteners, binders, colorants, pH adjusters, fillers, flavoring agents, disintegration aids, antioxidants, humectants, and preservatives. The moisture content of the particles of the tobacco may vary. Certain smokeless tobacco products have the form of tobacco compositions or formulations that result from casting or otherwise forming a slurry incorporating tobacco material and other components as a film or sheet. Certain smokeless tobacco products have the form of tobacco compositions or formulations that result from pressing, extruding or otherwise forming a mixture incorporating tobacco material and other components into a desired shape. The foregoing tobacco products, as well as snus-type products, can be packaged under conditions of controlled atmosphere. Smokeless tobacco products can be sealed in outer packaging materials that are virtually impervious to oxygen and/or moisture, and those packaging materials can be vacuum sealed or sealed such that the atmosphere therewithin is essentially inert.

1 . A smokeless tobacco composition having a form that is not intended to be smoked, that composition comprising at least two tobacco formulations, wherein:
 (i) a first tobacco formulation is a processed mixture incorporating components that include tobacco and binding agent, said processed mixture being provided by contacting the components in water; and   (ii) the first tobacco formulation is formed so as to overly a second tobacco formulation.   
   
   
       2 . The smokeless tobacco composition of  claim 1  wherein the first tobacco formulation is formed into one or more sheet-like shapes that are adapted to enwrap the second tobacco formulation. 
   
   
       3 . The smokeless tobacco composition of  claim 1  wherein the first tobacco formulation incorporates components that possess one type of sensory characteristics, and the second tobacco formulation incorporates components that exhibit a different type of sensory characteristics. 
   
   
       4 . The smokeless tobacco composition of  claim 2  wherein said second tobacco formulation is in the shape of a rod. 
   
   
       5 . The smokeless tobacco composition of  claim 4  wherein the enwrapped said rod is cut into cylindrical pellets, and then both cut ends of each pellet are molded or sealed to form pillow-like pellets. 
   
   
       6 . The smokeless tobacco composition of  claim 5  wherein said pillow-like pellets are dried at ambient temperature for about 12 hours. 
   
   
       7 . The smokeless tobacco composition of  claim 5  wherein said pillow-like pellets are dried for about 20 minutes in a forced air oven at about 50° C. to about 80° C. 
   
   
       8 . A smokeless tobacco formulation having a form that is not intended to be smoked, that tobacco formulation comprising a processed mixture incorporating tobacco and alginate binder, said processed mixture being provided by contacting the components in water to provide a mixture, forming that mixture and removing moisture from that mixture. 
   
   
       9 . The smokeless tobacco formulation of  claim 8  wherein the forming is carried out using casting techniques. 
   
   
       10 . The smokeless tobacco formulation of  claim 8  wherein the forming is carried out using extrusion techniques. 
   
   
       11 . The smokeless tobacco formulation of  claim 8  further incorporating glycerin. 
   
   
       12 . The smokeless tobacco formulation of  claim 8  further incorporating a pH adjuster. 
   
   
       13 . The smokeless tobacco formulation of  claim 8  further incorporating at least one polysaccharide. 
   
   
       14 . The smokeless tobacco formulation of  claim 8  further incorporating a sweetening agent. 
   
   
       15 . The smokeless tobacco formulation of  claim 8  further incorporating a filler. 
   
   
       16 . The smokeless tobacco formulation of  claim 8  further incorporating a starch-based material.