Smokeless tobacco products with starch component

Abstract

A smokeless tobacco product configured for insertion into the mouth of a user is provided. The smokeless tobacco product includes a tobacco material and a specific starch material that imparts specific textural properties to the product. A process for preparing a smokeless tobacco product with a desired textural property is also provided.

That which is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method for preparing a smokeless tobacco product, comprising:
 identifying a specific textural property to be imparted to the product;   identifying a specific starch material that provides the specific textural property in a product; and   combining the specific starch material with a tobacco material to form a smokeless tobacco product that exhibits the desired textural property.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the starch is selected from the group consisting of acorn, maize, arrowroot, arracacha, banana, barley, bean, breadfruit, buckwheat, canna, cassaya, chestnut, colacasia, katakuri, kudzu, malanga, millet, oat, oca, Polynesian arrowroot, potato, quinoa, rice, sago, sorghum, sweet potato, rye, tapioca, taro, tobacco, water chestnut, wheat, yam starch, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the starch is a modified starch. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the modified starch is selected from the group consisting of pre-gelatinized starch, acid-modified starch, base-modified starch, oxidized starch, cross-linked starch, acetylated starch, hydroxypropyl starch, hydroxypropyl distarch glycerol, starch sodium octenyl succinate, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the combining step is conducted in aqueous solution. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises hydrating the specific starch material prior to combining it with the tobacco material. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the hydrating step comprises heating the starch in water to give a clear solution. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises combining the starch material and tobacco material with one or more sweeteners. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the sweetener is selected from the group consisting of fructose, sucrose, glucose, maltose, vanillin, ethylvanillin glucoside, mannose, galactose, lactose, stevia, sucralose, isomaltulose, maltodextrin, saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame K, erythritol, arabitol, ribitol, isomalt, maltitol, dulcitol, iditol, mannitol, xylitol, lactitol, sorbitol, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises combining the starch material and tobacco material with one or more additives selected from the group consisting of fillers, flavorants, salts, emulsifiers, disintegration aids, humectants, buffering agents, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the additive is an oil. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the additive is a filler. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the smokeless tobacco product comprises about 1 percent or more starch on a dry weight basis. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the smokeless tobacco product comprises about 5 percent or more starch on a dry weight basis. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the smokeless tobacco product comprises about 15% or less starch on a dry weight basis. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the desired textural property is selected from the group consisting of cohesiveness, density, dryness, fracturability, graininess, gumminess, hardness, heaviness, moisture absorption, moisture release, mouthcoating, roughness, slipperiness, smoothness, viscosity, wetness, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the smokeless tobacco product is in the form of a gel. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the smokeless tobacco product is in the form of a solid. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the smokeless tobacco product is dissolvable. 
     
     
         20 . A smokeless tobacco product exhibiting a specific textural property, the product comprising:
 a tobacco material; and   a content of a specific starch material that imparts the specific textural property.   
     
     
         21 . The smokeless tobacco product of  claim 20 , wherein the starch is selected from the group consisting of acorn, maize, arrowroot, arracacha, banana, barley, beans, breadfruit, buckwheat, canna, cassaya, chestnut, colacasia, katakuri, kudzu, malanga, millet, oat, oca, Polynesian arrowroot, potato, quinoa, rice, sago, sorghum, sweet potato, rye, tapioca, taro, tobacco, water chestnut, wheat, yam starch, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         22 . The smokeless tobacco product of  claim 20 , wherein the starch is a modified starch. 
     
     
         23 . The smokeless tobacco product of  claim 22 , wherein the modified starch is selected from the group consisting of pre-gelatinized starch, acid-modified starch, base-modified starch, oxidized starch, cross-linked starch, acetylated starch, hydroxypropyl starch, hydroxypropyl distarch glycerol, starch sodium octenyl succinate, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         24 . The smokeless tobacco product of  claim 20 , wherein the smokeless tobacco product further comprises one or more sweeteners. 
     
     
         25 . The smokeless tobacco product of  claim 24 , wherein the sweetener is selected from the group consisting of fructose, sucrose, glucose, maltose, vanillin, ethylvanillin glucoside, mannose, galactose, lactose, stevia, sucralose, isomaltulose, maltodextrin, saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame K, erythritol, arabitol, ribitol, isomalt, maltitol, dulcitol, iditol, mannitol, xylitol, lactitol, sorbitol, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         26 . The smokeless tobacco product of  claim 20 , wherein the smokeless tobacco product further comprises one or more additives selected from the group consisting of fillers, flavorants, emulsifiers, salts, disintegration aids, humectants, buffering agents, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         27 . The smokeless tobacco product of  claim 26 , wherein the additive is an oil. 
     
     
         28 . The smokeless tobacco product of  claim 26 , wherein the additive is a filler. 
     
     
         29 . The smokeless tobacco product of  claim 20 , wherein the smokeless tobacco product comprises at least about 1 percent starch on a dry weight basis. 
     
     
         30 . The smokeless tobacco product of  claim 20 , wherein the specific textural property is selected from the group consisting of cohesiveness, density, dryness, fracturability, graininess, gumminess, hardness, heaviness, moisture absorption, moisture release, mouthcoating, roughness, slipperiness, smoothness, viscosity, wetness, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         31 . The smokeless tobacco product of  claim 20 , wherein the smokeless tobacco product is in the form of a gel. 
     
     
         32 . The smokeless tobacco product of  claim 20 , wherein the smokeless tobacco product is in the form of a solid. 
     
     
         33 . The smokeless tobacco product of  claim 20 , wherein the smokeless tobacco product is dissolvable.