Oral pouched products including tobacco beads

Abstract

A pouched, oral tobacco product includes a porous membrane, a loose tobacco material, and tobacco beads. The tobacco beads are formed from agglomerated tobacco fines and dust. The fines and dust are mixed with water, optionally a binder, and optionally flavorants to produce a wet mass that is extruded and spheronized to form tobacco beads. The tobacco beads are dispersed throughout loose tobacco material of desired size to form a material that is enclosed in a porous membrane.

1 . A pouched, oral tobacco product comprising:
 a porous membrane;   loose tobacco material; and   solid, extruded tobacco beads comprising:
 a majority amount of tobacco having a particle size of less than about 60 mesh, the tobacco fines being dispersed uniformly throughout the entirety of each of the solid, extruded tobacco beads; and 
 a quantity of water sufficient to bind the tobacco fines together, 
   wherein the solid, extruded tobacco beads and the loose tobacco material are enclosed within the porous membrane.   
   
   
       2 . The pouched, oral tobacco product of  claim 1 , wherein the loose tobacco material has a particle size from about 20 mesh to 400 mesh. 
   
   
       3 . The pouched, oral tobacco product of  claim 1 , wherein the solid, extruded tobacco beads further include at least one non-tobacco flavorant. 
   
   
       4 . The pouched, oral tobacco product of  claim 1 , wherein the solid, extruded tobacco beads further include at least one diluent agent. 
   
   
       5 . The pouched, oral tobacco product of  claim 1 , wherein the solid, extruded tobacco beads are substantially spherical or oval. 
   
   
       6 . The pouched, oral tobacco product of  claim 1 , wherein the solid, extruded tobacco beads each have a diameter of about 0.1 mm to about 2.5 mm. 
   
   
       7 . The pouched, oral tobacco product of  claim 1 , wherein the solid, extruded tobacco beads further include at least one binder. 
   
   
       8 . The pouched, oral tobacco product of  claim 7 , wherein the binder is sugar beet fiber. 
   
   
       9 . The pouched, oral tobacco product of  claim 1 , wherein the pouched, oral tobacco product includes about 5% to 90% solid, extruded tobacco beads by weight. 
   
   
       10 . The pouched, oral tobacco product of  claim 1 , wherein the solid, extruded tobacco beads include a polymeric coating on at least a portion of the surface of each of the solid, extruded tobacco beads. 
   
   
       11 . The pouched, oral tobacco product of  claim 10 , wherein the polymeric coating is a time release coating. 
   
   
       12 . The pouched, oral tobacco product of  claim 10 , wherein the polymeric coating includes at least one flavorant and/or at least one active compound. 
   
   
       13 . The pouched, oral tobacco product of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one active compound is selected from the group consisting of vitamins, minerals, nutraceuticals, energizing agents, soothing agents, sweeteners, coloring agents, amino acids, antioxidants, preservatives and combinations thereof. 
   
   
       14 . The pouched, oral tobacco product of  claim 1 , wherein the pouch is sized and configured to fit comfortably between the cheek and gum of a user's mouth. 
   
   
       15 . The pouched, oral tobacco product of  claim 1 , wherein the solid, extruded tobacco beads includes about 10 wt % to about 90 wt % tobacco fines. 
   
   
       16 . The pouched, oral tobacco product of  claim 1 , wherein moisture content of the tobacco beads is about 0.5 wt % to about 25 wt %. 
   
   
       17 . The pouched, oral tobacco product of  claim 1 , wherein the pouched, oral tobacco product has dimensions of less than about two inches. 
   
   
       18 . The pouched, oral tobacco product of  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the amount of tobacco fine to water in each of the solid, extruded tobacco beads during manufacture is about 1:4 to about 4:1. 
   
   
       19 . A method of making an oral pouched tobacco product comprising the steps of:
 grinding tobacco, said grinding step establishing a size distribution of particles, said distribution including tobacco fines and larger tobacco particles; and   utilizing said tobacco fines to form an agglomeration of tobacco fines by:
 separating said tobacco fines from said larger particles; 
 forming agglomerated tobacco fines; and 
 placing said agglomerated tobacco fines, together with said larger tobacco particles in a pouch comprising a porous membrane. 
   
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the agglomerated tobacco fines are incorporated in the porous membrane during high-speed pouch filling operations. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the agglomerated tobacco fines are dried to a moisture content of about 0.5 wt % to about 25 wt %. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the agglomerated tobacco fines are extruded and spheronized to form tobacco beads, the beads are combined with loose tobacco material to form a mixture, and the mixture is filled in the pouch by high-speed pouch filling operations. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 19 , further including at least partially coating tobacco beads made from the agglomeration of tobacco fines with at least one polymeric coating. 
   
   
       24 . A pouched, oral tobacco product according to the method of  claim 19 . 
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the tobacco fines are finer than 60 mesh. 
   
   
       26 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the tobacco fines are finer than 40 mesh. 
   
   
       27 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the agglomerated tobacco fines are placed in the porous membrane during high-speed pouch filling operations. 
   
   
       28 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the forming step includes mixing said tobacco fines with water to form a wet mass, extruding said wet mass into strands of extrudate, spheronizing said strands to form wet spheres and drying said wet spheres.