Chewable and deformable oral pouched snuff product

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an oral pouched snuff product and a method for its production. The oral pouched snuff product comprises a filling material and a saliva-permeable pouch enclosing the filling material, the saliva-permeable pouch comprising at least one elongated seal and the saliva-permeable pouch comprising a mesh material being elastic in at least one direction and comprising fibres of thermoplastic polyamide, wherein the at least one elongated seal has a seal strength of at least 0.10 N/mm as measured in dry state as well as in wet state. The at least one elongated seal may be an ultrasonically provided weld.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An oral pouched snuff product comprising a filling material and a saliva-permeable pouch enclosing the filling material, the saliva-permeable pouch comprising at least one elongated seal and the saliva-permeable pouch comprising a mesh material being elastic in at least one direction and comprising fibres of thermoplastic polyamide, wherein the at least one elongated seal has a seal strength of at least 0.10 N/mm as measured in dry state using the herein disclosed method for measuring seal strength, herein being referred to as Test Method B. 
     
     
         2 . The oral pouched snuff product according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one elongated seal has a seal strength of at least 0.10 N/mm as measured in wet state using the herein disclosed method for measuring seal strength, herein being referred to as Test Method B. 
     
     
         3 . The oral pouched snuff product according to  claim 1 , wherein the mesh material of the saliva-permeable pouch is a knitted material or a warp-knitted material. 
     
     
         4 . The oral pouched snuff product according to  claim 1 , wherein the mesh material of the saliva-permeable pouch has an elongation at break of at least 150%, as measured according to standard test method WSP 110.4(05). 
     
     
         5 . The oral pouched snuff product according to  claim 1 , wherein said web material is elastic in one direction. 
     
     
         6 . The oral pouched snuff product according to  claim 1 , wherein the mesh material of the saliva-permeable pouch has a first direction and a second direction, said second direction being perpendicular to said first direction, said elongation at break, as measured according to standard test method WSP 110.4(05), being at least 5 times higher in said second direction than in said first direction. 
     
     
         7 . The oral pouched snuff product according to  claim 1 , wherein the mesh material of the saliva-permeable pouch consists of fibres of a thermoplastic polyamide. 
     
     
         8 . The oral pouched snuff product according to  claim 7 , wherein the mesh material of the saliva-permeable pouch consists of fibres of polyamide 6 
     
     
         9 . The oral pouched snuff product according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one elongated seal has a seal width being equal to or less than 2 mm, or within the range of from 0.1 mm to 2 mm or from 0.1 mm to 1 mm or from 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm, and said at least one elongated seal sealing an outermost end portion of said saliva-permeable pouch. 
     
     
         10 . The oral pouched snuff product according to  claim 1 , wherein said at least one elongated seal is an ultrasonically provided weld. 
     
     
         11 . The oral pouched snuff product according to  claim 10 , wherein the ultrasonically provided weld is formed by simultaneous ultrasonic welding and cutting of the packaging material such that a cut is provided in a welded area, thereby at least one outermost end portion of the pouch being sealed by the at least one elongated seal. 
     
     
         12 . The oral pouched snuff product according to  claim 1 , wherein the oral pouched snuff product has a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction perpendicular to said longitudinal direction, said saliva-permeable pouch comprising a first elongated seal and a second elongated seal, each of said first and second elongated seals having a seal length extending along said transverse direction of said product and a seal width extending along the longitudinal direction of the product, the seal width of each of said first elongated seal and said second elongated seal being equal to or less than 2 mm, or within the range of from 0.1 mm to 2 mm or from 0.1 mm to 1 mm or from 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm, said first elongated seal sealing a first outermost end portion of the pouch, and said second elongated seal sealing a second outermost end portion of said saliva-permeable pouch. 
     
     
         13 . The oral pouched snuff product according to  claim 1 , which is an oral pouched smokeless tobacco product, said oral pouched smokeless tobacco product having moisture content within the range of from 40 to 60% w/w, 45 to 55% w/w or from 50 to 55% w/w, based on the total weight of the product. 
     
     
         14 . The oral pouched snuff product according to  claim 13 , which is a non-post-moisturized oral pouched smokeless tobacco product. 
     
     
         15 . The oral pouched snuff product according to  claim 13 , which is a post-moisturized oral pouched smokeless tobacco product. 
     
     
         16 . The oral pouched snuff product according to  claim 1 , wherein the filling material is a smokeless tobacco composition comprising cut tobacco. 
     
     
         17 . A method for producing an oral pouched snuff product in accordance with  claim 1 , the method comprising:
 a) supplying and advancing a tubular web of the mesh material enveloping a continuous feed of filling material in a direction of travel (L);   b) forming transverse seals in said tubular web across said continuous feed of filling material by means of ultrasonic welding, said transverse seals extending in a transverse direction (T) being perpendicular to said direction of travel (L),   c) cutting the tubular web along the transverse direction, thereby forming a plurality of oral pouched snuff products.   
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 17 , wherein said ultrasonic welding and cutting are performed simultaneously thereby providing a cut in a welded area. 
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 17 , wherein said method further comprises pulling said web at least in said direction of travel (L), said pulling being performed downstream of said cutting, preferably at a distance from said cutting corresponding to the extension of said portion-packed oral pouched snuff product in said direction of travel (L).