Stabilizer for moist snuff

Abstract

The disclosure provides a method for improving the storage stability of a moist smokeless tobacco product configured for oral use, for example, a moist snuff tobacco product. The moist smokeless tobacco product includes a tobacco formulation containing a tobacco material. The method includes mixing the tobacco material with one or more antioxidants and one or more preservatives to form the tobacco formulation. The disclosure also provides a moist smokeless tobacco product incorporating a tobacco material and one or more antioxidants and one or more preservatives. Such moist smokeless tobacco products exhibit improved storage stability with respect to one or more characteristics such as nitrite, tobacco specific nitrosamine, organic acid, pH, and moisture content.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for improving the storage stability of a moist smokeless tobacco product configured for oral use, the moist smokeless tobacco product comprising a tobacco formulation comprising a tobacco material having a moisture content of from about 40% to about 70%, the method comprising:
 mixing the tobacco material with one or more antioxidants added in an amount to provide an initial total antioxidant concentration in the tobacco formulation of from about 1 part per million (ppm) to about 1000 ppm by weight on a dry weight basis; and   mixing the tobacco material with one or more preservatives added in an amount to provide an initial total preservative concentration in the tobacco formulation from about 1 ppm to about 10,000 ppm by weight on a dry weight basis, to form the tobacco formulation.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the moist smokeless tobacco product is in the form of moist snuff. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the tobacco material has a moisture content from about 50% to about 60%. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the tobacco material has a water activity (Aw) from about 0.85 to about 0.88. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more antioxidants are selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate, calcium ascorbate, ascorbyl palmitate, citric acid, Vitamin E or a derivative thereof, a tocopherol, propyl gallate, octyl gallate, dodecyl gallate, monosterol citrate, epicatechol, epigallocatechol, epigallocatechol gallate, erythorbic acid, sodium erythorbate, 4-hexylresorcinol, theaflavin, theaflavin monogallate A or B, theaflavin digallate, phenolic acids, glycosides, quercitrin, isoquercitrin, hyperoside, polyphenols, catechols, resveratrol s, oleuropein, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), tertiary-butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the antioxidant is TBHQ. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more preservatives are selected from the group consisting of methyl paraben, propylparaben, sodium propionate, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the preservative is propylparaben. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the antioxidant is TBHQ and the preservative is propylparaben. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adding one or more additional components to the tobacco formulation, the additional components selected from the group consisting of flavorants, fillers, binders, pH adjusters, buffering agents, colorants, disintegration aids, and humectants. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein one or more of the following is maintained for a storage period of at least about 10 days at a temperature of less than about 10° C. in a closed container.
 a concentration of citrate between about 1% and about 2%; 
 an Aw value between about 0.85 and about 0.88; 
 a pH between about 7.5 and about 8.1; 
 a concentration of nitrite below about 10 ppm; 
 a concentration of acetate between about 1% and about 4%. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNA) concentration is maintained below about 50 ppm on a dry weight basis for a storage period of at least about 10 days at a temperature of less than about 10° C. in a closed container. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a TSNA concentration of the tobacco formulation is reduced over a storage period of at least about 10 days, at a temperature of less than about 10° C. in a closed container, relative to a control tobacco formulation which does not contain the one or more antioxidants and the one or more preservatives. 
     
     
         14 . A moist smokeless tobacco product configured for oral use, the moist smokeless tobacco product comprising a tobacco material, one or more antioxidants, and one or more preservatives, wherein the one or more antioxidants are present in the moist smokeless tobacco product in a total antioxidant concentration from about 1 part per million (ppm) to about 1000 ppm, and the one or more preservatives are present in the tobacco formulation in a total preservative concentration from about 1 part per million (ppm) to about 10,000 ppm, and wherein the moist smokeless tobacco product has a moisture content from about 40% to about 70%. 
     
     
         15 . The moist smokeless tobacco product of  claim 14 , wherein the moist smokeless tobacco product is in the form of moist snuff. 
     
     
         16 . The moist smokeless tobacco product of  claim 14 , wherein the moist smokeless tobacco product has a moisture content of from about 50% to about 60%. 
     
     
         17 . The moist smokeless tobacco product of  claim 14 , wherein the moist smokeless tobacco product has a water activity (Aw) of about 0.85 to about 0.88. 
     
     
         18 . The moist smokeless tobacco product of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more antioxidants are selected from the group consisting of ascorbic acid, sodium ascorbate, calcium ascorbate, ascorbyl palmitate, citric acid, Vitamin E or a derivative thereof, a tocopherol, propyl gallate, octyl gallate, dodecyl gallate, monosterol citrate, epicatechol, epigallocatechol, epigallocatechol gallate, erythorbic acid, sodium erythorbate, 4-Hexylresorcinol, theaflavin, theaflavin monogallate A or B, theaflavin digallate, phenolic acids, glycosides, quercitrin, isoquercitrin, hyperoside, polyphenols, catechols, resveratrols, oleuropein, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ), and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The moist smokeless tobacco product of  claim 14 , wherein the antioxidant is TBHQ. 
     
     
         20 . The moist smokeless tobacco product of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more preservatives are selected from the group consisting of methyl paraben, propylparaben, sodium propionate, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         21 . The moist smokeless tobacco product of  claim 14 , wherein the preservative is propylparaben. 
     
     
         22 . The moist smokeless tobacco product of  claim 14 , wherein the antioxidant is TBHQ and the preservative is propylparaben. 
     
     
         23 . The moist smokeless tobacco product of  claim 14 , further comprising one or more additional components selected from the group consisting of flavorants, fillers, binders, pH adjusters, buffering agents, colorants, disintegration aids, and humectants. 
     
     
         24 . The moist smokeless tobacco product of  claim 14 , wherein the moist smokeless tobacco product is characterized, after a storage period of at least about 10 days at a temperature of less than about 10° C. in a closed container, by a tobacco specific nitrosamine (TSNA) concentration that is reduced relative to a control moist smokeless tobacco product which does not comprise the one or more antioxidants and the one or more preservatives. 
     
     
         25 . The moist smokeless tobacco product of  claim 14 , wherein the moist smokeless tobacco product is characterized, after a storage period of at least about 10 days at a temperature of less than about 10° C. in a closed container, by one or more of:
 a TSNA concentration below about 50 ppm on a dry weight basis; 
 a concentration of citrate between about 1% and about 2%; 
 an Aw value between about 0.85 and about 0.88; 
 a pH between about 7.5 and about 8.1; 
 a concentration of nitrite below about 10 ppm; 
 a concentration of acetate between about 1% and about 4%. 
 
     
     
         26 . The moist smokeless tobacco product of  claim 14 , wherein the storage period is from about 10 days to about 150 days.