GB832991A - Improvements in or relating to a process of treating tobacco - Google Patents

Abstract

Tobacco, which has been rendered partly or wholly neutral, i.e odourless and flavourless, by a plurality of successive water extractions at progressively higher temperatures, is saturated with one, some or all of the fractional extracts obtained by this treatment or by like treatment of other tobacco. The invention is directed primarily to the alteration of Philippine native tobacco to be of lighter colour, milder aroma and less bitter taste and thus to simulate American Virginia tobacco whilst being resistant to moulding and of less nicotine content than ordinary cured tobacco. In one process, cured and cut native tobacco is soaked in water for thirty or forty minutes at, successively, room temperature, 60 DEG C., 80 DEG C. and 100 DEG C., the tobacco being strained after each soaking and finally dried at 100 DEG C. in a rotating drier. The extractions produced by the strainings are of progressively more bitter taste and stronger aroma. The dried neutralized tobacco is bleached with hydrogen peroxide, containing pure hydrogen and acetanilide, is dried as before and cooled, and is then saturated for two hours with an extract formed of a mixture of fractional extractions produced from Virginia tobacco dust in a similar manner to that described for the native tobacco. The saturated tobacco is finally dried at 60 DEG C. in a rotating drier. The Virginia tobacco extract may contain glycerine, yellow-orange colouring matter, wines, liquors, molasses, honey, vanilla extract and aromatics. In another process, no Virginian tobacco is used, the neutralized but unbleached native tobacco being saturated with a mixture of the first and second only of four successive fractional extractions of native tobacco dust. In a further process, the neutralized but unbleached native tobacco is saturated with a mixture of extracts of Virginian and Turkish tobacco dust. In a modified process, native tobacco partly neutralized by the removal of the first and second only of four possible fractional extractions is saturated with a mixture of the third and fourth of four fractional extractions of native tobacco dust. Reference is made to the application of the invention to the treatment of Virginian Bright, Burley, Maryland and Perique tobaccos.