US3730189A

US3730189A - Tobacco product

Info

Publication number: US3730189A
Application number: US00215398A
Authority: US
Inventors: W Rhode
Original assignee: RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co
Current assignee: RJ Reynolds Tobacco Co
Priority date: 1972-01-04
Filing date: 1972-01-04
Publication date: 1973-05-01
Anticipated expiration: 1990-05-01
Also published as: CA956536A

Abstract

Addition of 2-hydroxy-3,5,5-trimethyl-2 cyclohexen-1,4-dione to tobacco in quanties of 0.0005 to 0.1 percent by weight for improving the flavor and aroma thereof.

Description

Unitefl S1ates Pafienfi 1191 Rhode May 11, 11973 TOBACCO PRODUCT 1,325,060 12/1919 Toms ..131 144 x 3,255,760 6/1966 Selke ...13l/143 X [75 1 Invent mmde Lake 3,316,919 5/1967 Green et al ..131/143 [73] Assignee: R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, 3,380,456 4/1968 Roberts et a1. ..l31/144X Winston-Salem, NC. Primary Examiner-Melvin D. Rein [22] Jan-4,1972 Azlorney-Albert H. Pendleton [21] Appl. No.: 215,398

[57] ABSTRACT [52] U.S.C1. ..l3l/171R, 131/144 Addition of 2-hydroxy-3,5,5-trim-ethyl-2 cyclohexen- [51] Int. Cl. ..A24b 15/00 1,4-dione to tobacco in quanties of 0.0005 to 0.1 per- [58] Field of Search ..l3l/ 17.9, 144, 15 cent by weight for improving the flavor and aroma thereof. [56] References Cited 3 Claims, No Drawings UNITED STATES PATENTS 858,289 6/1907 Hondius ..131/144 TOBACCO PRODUCT This invention relates to a tobacco product and has for an object the provision of a composition and process for improving the flavor and/or aroma of tobacco and tobacco smoke.

It is well known in the tobacco art that the flavor and aroma of the tobacco product and the smoke from the tobacco are very important considerations insofar as the ultimate consumer is concerned. Considerable efforts are exerted by the manufacturers of tobacco products to provide a product that will be acceptable to the consumer, particularly as regards flavor and aroma characteristics. It has been the common practice in the tobacco industry to prepare blends of domestic and oriental tobaccos in order to provide smoking tobacco which has a pleasing flavor and aroma before and during smoking. However, such a procedure is costly and may at times become prohibitive in the event that certain types of tobacco may be in short supply. Accordingly, it is a further object of this invention to 'provide an additive which when applied to the tobacco products improves and enhances the flavor and aroma of these products and the smoke emitted therefrom thereby increasing or enhancing the pleasure and other values that may be derived by the consumer from the use of these products.

A further object of this invention is the provision ofa process for enhancing or otherwise improving the flavor, aroma and other qualities of certain domestic,

oriental, reconstituted or synthetic tobaccos which may be deficient in said flavor or aroma or other qualities.

An additional object of this invention is to provide a process of preparing a smoking tobacco or product which when smoked has an enhanced flavor or aroma.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of smoking products, such as cigarettes, cigars or pipe tobacco, and a process for forming same whereby the flavor and aroma before and during smoking are improved or enhanced.

Further and additional objects will appear from the following description and the appended claims.

In accordance with this invention the flavor and/or aroma of tobacco or tobacco products is improved by adding thereto a small amount of 2-hydro5ty-3,5,5- trimethyl-Z-cyclohexen-l,4-dione, which compound has been found in natural tobacco. This compound can be represented by the formula the amount used will depend upon the amount of flavor and/or aroma desired. The additive can be incorporated at any step in treatment of the tobacco but is preferably added after aging, curing and shredding and before the tobacco is formed into cigarettes or other products. Likewise, it will be apparent that only a portion of the tobacco need be treated and the thus treated tobacco can be blended with other tobaccos before the cigarettes or other tobacco products are formed. In such case the treated tobacco may have the additive in excess of the amounts aboveindicated so that when blended with other tobaccos the final product will contain a percentage of additive within the indicated range.

The tobacco additive of the invention when incorporated into tobacco products improves the flavor and/or aroma of the product. More particularly, the additive has been characterized as adding body to the flavor of tobacco smoke and contributing a chocolate, nutty side note to the aroma of packaged cigarettes to which it has been added. However, it is to be apprecia'ted that definition or characterization of flavor or aroma in the tobacco art is almost purely subjective and different smokers may define the same flavor or effect quite differently.

In accordance with one specific embodiment of this invention, an aged flue-cured andl shredded tobacco is sprayed with a 1 percent ethyl alcohol solution of 2- hydroxy-3,5,5-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-l,4-dione in an amount to provide a tobacco containing 0.001 percent by weight of the additive on a dry basis. Thereafter the alcohol is removed by evaporation and the tobacco is manufactured into cigarettes by the usual techniques. It has been found that the cigarette when prepared as indicated has an improved character.

The additive employed in accordance with this invention may be applied to the tobacco by spraying, dipping or otherwise, utilizing suitable suspensions or solutions thereof. Thus, water or volatile organic solvents, such as alcohol, ether, acetone, volatile hydrocarbons and the like, may be used as the carrying medium for the additive while being applied to the tobacco. Also, other flavorand aroma-producing additives, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,766,145, 2,905,575, 2,905,576, 2,978,365 and 3,041,21 1 may be incorporated into the tobacco with the additive of this invention.

While this invention is principally useful in the manufacture of cigarette tobacco, it is also suitable for use in connection with the manufacture of pipe tobacco, cigars or other tobacco products. Furthermore, the additive can be added to certain tobacco substitutes of can be applied to the paper of the cigarette or to the wrapper of a cigar. Also, it can be incorporated into the filter tip, the packaging material or the seam paste employed for gluing the cigarette paper. Thus, a tobacco product is provided which includes the specified addi- 2. A process for improving tobacco flavor and/or aroma which comprises adding thereto an amount of from about 0.00005 to 0.1 percent by weight and sufficient to alter the flavor or aroma of tobacco of 2- hydroxy-3,5 ,5-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-l ,4-dione.

3. A process for producing a tobacco product which comprises adding thereto an amount of from about 0.00005 to 0.1 percent by weight and sufficient to alter the flavor or aroma of the tobacco product of 2- hydroxy-3 ,5,5-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1,4-dione.

Claims

2. A process for improving tobacco flavor and/or aroma which comprises adding thereto an amount of from about 0.00005 to 0.1 percent by weight and sufficient to alter the flavor or aroma of tobacco of 2-hydroxy-3,5,5-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1,4-dione.
3. A process for producing a tobacco product which comprises adding thereto an amount of from about 0.00005 to 0.1 percent by weight and sufficient to alter the flavor or aroma of the tobacco product of 2-hydroxy-3,5,5-trimethyl-2-cyclohexen-1,4-dione.