(19)
(11) EP 2 179 666 A3

(12) EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3:
22.09.2010 Bulletin 2010/38

(43) Date of publication A2:
28.04.2010 Bulletin 2010/17

(21) Application number: 10152287.8

(22) Date of filing: 22.07.2008
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC): 
A24B 13/00(2006.01)
A24B 3/04(2006.01)
 A24B 15/00(2006.01)
A24B 15/30(2006.01)
(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MT NL NO PL PT RO SE SI SK TR
Designated Extension States:
AL BA MK RS

(30) Priority: 23.07.2007 US 781604
23.07.2007 US 781666
23.07.2007 US 781641

(62) Application number of the earlier application in accordance with Art. 76 EPC:
08796428.4 / 2173200

(71) Applicant: R.J.Reynolds Tobacco Company
Winston-Salem, NC 27102 (US)

(72) Inventors:
  • Dube, Michael Francis
    Winston-Salem NC 27106 (US)
  • Mua, John-Paul
    Advance NC 27066 (US)
  • Holton, Darrell Eugene Jr.
    Clemmons NC 27012 (US)
  • Stokes, Cynthia Stewart
    Lexington NC 27292 (US)
  • Figlar, James Neil
    Clemmons NC 27012 (US)
  • Brinkley, Paul Andrew
    Winston-Salem NC 27107 (US)
  • McClanahan, David Neil
    Winston-Salem NC 27106 (US)
  • Flinchum, Jack Gray Jr.
    Clemmons NC 27012 (US)
  • Monsalud, Luis Rosete Jr.
    Kernersville NC 27284 (US)
  • Cantrell, Daniel Verdin
    Lewisville NC 27106 (US)

(74) Representative: Hoeger, Stellrecht & Partner Patentanwälte 
Uhlandstrasse 14c
70182 Stuttgart
70182 Stuttgart (DE)

   


(54) Smokeless Tobacco Compositions And Methods For Treating Tobacco For Use Therein


(57) A process for preparing a tobacco composition suitable for use as a smokeless tobacco composition is proposed, comprising providing a mixture of water and a tobacco material in the form of a slurry, heating the mixture at a temperature and for a time sufficient to pasteurize the mixture, adding an amount of a base to the slurry sufficient to raise the pH of the slurry to an alkaline pH, thereby forming a pH-adjusted mixture, continuing to heat the pH-adjusted mixture at a temperature and for a time sufficient for the pH of the pH-adjusted mixture to drop at least about 0.5 pH unit following said adding step to form a treated tobacco material, and incorporating the treated tobacco material into a smokeless tobacco product.







Search report