# US 2014/0190499 A1 · Methods for reducing the formation of tobacco specific nitrosamines in tobacco homogenates > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0190499 A1 - Document ID: US20140190499A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/119,462 - Filed: 2012-05-24 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2011-05-26 - Assignees: Philip Morris Products S.A. - Inventors: Balazs Siminszky - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140190499A1 ## CPC - A24B 15/245: {Nitrosamines} - A24B 15/28: by chemical substances - A24B: MANUFACTURE OR PREPARATION OF TOBACCO FOR SMOKING OR CHEWING; TOBACCO; SNUFF ## Abstract In one aspect, there is provided a method for reducing the formation of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone and N-nitrosonornicotine and N-nitrosoanatabine and N-nitrosoanabasine in a tobacco homogenate comprising the steps of: (a) providing a tobacco homogenate; (b) increasing the pH of the tobacco homogenate to at least about pH 6.0; (c) optionally measuring the concentration of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone and N-nitrosonornicotine and N-nitrosoanatabine and N-nitrosoanabasine in the tobacco homogenate before and after the pH treatment in step (b); and (d) obtaining a tobacco homogenate in which the levels of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone and N-nitrosonornicotine and N-nitrosoanatabine and N-nitrosoanabasine are reduced as compared to the levels of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone and N-nitrosonornicotine and N-nitrosoanatabine and N-nitrosoanabasine in the tobacco homogenate provided in step (a). ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for reducing the formation of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone and N-nitrosonornicotine and N-nitrosoanatabine and N-nitrosoanabasine in a tobacco homogenate comprising the steps of: (a) providing a tobacco homogenate; (b) increasing the pH of the tobacco homogenate to at least about pH 6.0; and obtaining a tobacco homogenate in which the level of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone and N-nitrosonornicotine and N-nitrosoanatabine and N-nitrosoanabasine is reduced as compared to the level of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone and N-nitrosonornicotine and N-nitrosoanatabine and N-nitrosoanabasine in the tobacco homogenate provided in step (a). ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the tobacco homogenate is a cured tobacco homogenate or a tobacco slurry. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the tobacco specific nitrosamines that are reduced are (de novo) generated tobacco specific nitrosamines that are not present in the tobacco feedstock used to prepare the tobacco homogenate in step (a). ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the nitrite concentration in the tobacco homogenate provided in step (a) is greater than about 0.45 mM. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the pseudooxynicotine concentration in the tobacco homogenate provided in step (a) is at least about 100 μg/g. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein said method comprises the further step after step (c) of comparing the levels of the tobacco specific nitrosamines in the tobacco homogenate obtained after step (c) with the levels of the tobacco specific nitrosamines in the tobacco homogenate provided in step (a). ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein said method comprises the further step of incorporating the tobacco homogenate in which the level of tobacco specific nitrosamine is reduced into a tobacco product. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method according to claim 7, wherein the tobacco product is a reconstituted tobacco product. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the reconstituted tobacco product is a reconstituted tobacco sheet. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, wherein the method comprises the further steps of: (i) casting the tobacco homogenate into one or more sheets; and (ii) drying the cast sheet(s). ### Claim 11 A method for reducing the formation of (de novo) generated 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone and N-nitrosonornicotine and N-nitrosoanatabine and N-nitrosoanabasine in a tobacco homogenate comprising the steps of: (a) providing a tobacco homogenate and optionally measuring the levels of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone and N-nitrosonornicotine and N-nitrosoanatabine and N-nitrosoanabasine therein; (b) increasing the pH of the tobacco homogenate to at least about pH 6.0; (c) incubating the tobacco homogenate under conditions that are suitable for nitrosation to occur and optionally measuring the levels of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone and N-nitrosonornicotine and N-nitrosoanatabine and N-nitrosoanabasine therein; and (d) obtaining a tobacco homogenate in which the levels of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone and N-nitrosonornicotine and N-nitrosoanatabine and N-nitrosoanabasine in step (c) are reduced as compared to the levels of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone and N-nitrosonornicotine and N-nitrosoanatabine and N-nitrosoanabasine in step (a). ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A tobacco homogenate obtained or obtainable by the method according to claim 1. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A tobacco product comprising the tobacco homogenate according to claim 12. ### Claim 14 A processed tobacco homogenate, wherein (i) the pH of said tobacco homogenate is at least about pH 6.0; (ii) the nitrite concentration of said tobacco homogenate is greater than about 0.45 mM; and (iii) the total tobacco specific nitrosamine content of said tobacco homogenate is less than about 8000 ng/g. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising measuring the level of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone and N-nitrosonornicotine and N-nitrosoanatabine and N-nitrosoanabasine in the tobacco homogenate before and after the pH treatment in step (b). ### Claim 16 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein the tobacco specific nitrosamines that are reduced are (de novo) generated tobacco specific nitrosamines that are not present in tobacco feedstock used to prepare the tobacco homogenate in step (a). ### Claim 17 (depends on 2) The method according to claim 2, wherein one or more of (i) the nitrite concentration in the tobacco homogenate provided in step (a) is greater than about 0.45 mM, or (ii) the pseudooxynicotine concentration in the tobacco homogenate provided in step (a) is at least about 100 μg/g. ### Claim 18 (depends on 3) The method according to claim 3, wherein one or more of (i) the nitrite concentration in the tobacco homogenate provided in step (a) is greater than about 0.45 mM, or (ii) the pseudooxynicotine concentration in the tobacco homogenate provided in step (a) is at least about 100 μg/g. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) A tobacco homogenate obtained or obtainable by the method according to claim 11. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) A tobacco product comprising the tobacco homogenate according to claim 12.