Tobacco products having reduced nitrosamine content

Abstract

Methods of reducing the content of and preventing formation of carcinogenic nitrosamines in harvested leafy plants such as tobacco and marijuana, are disclosed. The methods are directed to subjecting the plant to microwave radiation, at appropriate times in the cure cycle. With tobacco, products suitable for human consumption, such as cigarettes, cigars, etc., can be made in accordance with the present invention, having contents of tobacco-specific nitrosamines on a par with fresh-cut, green tobacco. In preferred embodiments, the resultant tobacco products are dried, golden-yellow leaves having almost negligible amounts of the known carcinogens NNN and NNK, in comparison to conventionally cured tobacco.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A tobacco product comprising cured non-green or yellow Virginia flue tobacco suitable for human consumption, substantially free of organic liquids used to extract expanded organic materials and having a collective content of N′-nitrosonornicotine, 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone, N′-nitrosoanatabine and N′-nitrosoanabasine which is less than 0.2 μg/g; wherein said cured non-green or yellow tobacco is selected from the group consisting of flue or bright varieties, Burley varieties, and oriental/Turkish varieties . 
     
     
       2. The tobacco product according to  claim 1 , wherein said collective content is less than about 0.15 μg/g. 
     
     
       3. The tobacco product according to  claim 2 , wherein said collective content is less than about 0.1 μg/g. 
     
     
       4. The tobacco product according to  claim 1 , which is a product selected from the group consisting of cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, snuff and tobacco-containing gum and lozenges. 
     
     
       5. A tobacco product comprising cured non-green or yellow Virginia flue tobacco suitable for human consumption, substantially free of organic liquids used to extract expanded organic materials and having a collective content of N′-nitrosonornicotine, 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone, N′-nitrosoanatabine and N′-nitrosoanabasine which is 0.15  0.05 μg/g or less. 
     
     
       6. The tobacco product according to  claim 5 , wherein said collective content is less than about 0.1 μg/g. 
     
     
       7. The tobacco product according to  claim 6 , wherein said collective content is less than about 0.05 μg/g. 
     
     
       8. The tobacco product according to  claim 5 , which is a product selected from the group consisting of cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, snuff, and tobacco-containing gum and lozenges. 
     
     
       9. A tobacco product comprising cured non-green or yellow Virginia flue tobacco suitable for human consumption, in leaf form and having a collective content of N′-nitrosonornicotine, 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone, N′-nitrosoanatabine and N′-nitrosoanabasine which is 0.15  0.05 μg/g or less. 
     
     
       10. A tobacco product comprising cured non-green or yellow tobacco suitable for human consumption, in leaf form and having a collective content of N′-nitrosonornicotine, 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone, N′-nitrosoanatabine and N′-nitrosoanabasine which is less than 0.2 μg/g; wherein said cured non-green or yellow tobacco is selected from the group consisting of flue or bright varieties, Burley varieties, and oriental/Turkish varieties. 
     
     
       11. A tobacco product comprising cured non-green or yellow tobacco suitable for human consumption, substantially free of organic liquids used to extract expanded organic materials and having a content of 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone which is 0.047 μg/g or less. 
     
     
       12. The  A tobacco product of  claim 11  wherein said  comprising cured non- green or yellow Virginia flue tobacco suitable for human consumption, substantially free of organic liquids used to extract expanded organic materials and having a  content of 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone which is 0.002 μg/g or less. 
     
     
       13. A tobacco product comprising cured non-green or yellow tobacco suitable for human consumption, in leaf form and having a content of 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone which is 0.047 μg/g or less. 
     
     
       14. The  A tobacco product of  claim 13  wherein said  comprising cured non- green or yellow Virginia flue tobacco suitable for human consumption, in leaf form and having a  content of 4-(N-nitrosomethylamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone which is 0.002 μg/g or less. 
     
     
       15. The tobacco product of  claim 12 , wherein said content of  4 -( N - nitrosomethyl amino )-   1   -(   3   - pyridyl )-   1   - butanone is  0 . 001  μg/g or less.   
     
     
       16. The tobacco product of  claim 14 , wherein said content of  4 -( N - nitrosomethyl amino )-   1   -(   3   - pyridyl )-   1   - butanone is  0 . 001  μg/g or less.   
     
     
       17. The tobacco product of  claim 12 , which is a product selected from the group consisting of cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, snuff, and tobacco- containing gum and lozenges.   
     
     
       18. The tobacco product of  claim 14 , which is a product selected from the group consisting of cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, snuff, and tobacco- containing gum and lozenges.   
     
     
       19. The tobacco product of  claim 9 , which is a product selected from the group consisting of cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, snuff, and tobacco- containing gum and lozenges.   
     
     
       20. A tobacco product comprising cured non- green or yellow Virginia flue tobacco suitable for human consumption, in leaf form and having a collective content of N′ - nitrosonornicotine,  4   -( N - nitrosomethylamino )-   1   -(   3   - pyridyl )-   1   - butanone, N′ - nitrosoanatabine and N′ - nitrosoanabasine which is less than  0 . 2  μg/g.   
     
     
       21. The tobacco product of  claim 20 , wherein said collective content is  0 . 15  μg/g or less. 
     
     
       22. The tobacco product of  claim 21 , wherein said collective content is  0 . 1  μg/g or less. 
     
     
       23. The tobacco product of  claim 20 , which is a product selected from the group consisting of cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco, snuff, and tobacco- containing gum and lozenges.   
     
     
       24. The tobacco product of  claim 1  wherein said tobacco suitable for human consumption is cured yellow tobacco. 
     
     
       25. The tobacco product of  claim 5  wherein said tobacco suitable for human consumption is cured yellow tobacco. 
     
     
       26. The tobacco product of  claim 9  wherein said tobacco suitable for human consumption is cured yellow tobacco. 
     
     
       27. The tobacco product of  claim 12  wherein said tobacco suitable for human consumption is cured yellow tobacco. 
     
     
       28. The tobacco product of  claim 14  wherein said tobacco suitable for human consumption is cured yellow tobacco.