Tobacco material and treatment thereof

2:

• The process according to claim 1, wherein the TSNA content of the treated tobacco material has not increased by more than about 0.25 μg/g from the TSNA content of untreated tobacco material.

3:

• The process according to either claim 1, wherein the tobacco material has a packing density on a dry matter weight base of between about 200 kg/m3 and 500 kg/m3.

4:

• The process according to claim 1, wherein the tobacco material has a moisture content of between about 10% and 18% before and during the treatment.

5:

• The process according to claim 1, wherein the tobacco material is secured within the moisture-retaining material for between about 5 and 65 days.

6:

• The process according to claim 1, wherein the tobacco material is exposed to an ambient processing temperature of above 55° C.

7:

• The process according to claim 1, wherein the tobacco material has been exposed to an ambient processing temperature of at least about 45° C. or above 55° C. for at least 10 days.

8:

• The process according to claim 7, wherein the tobacco material has been exposed to an ambient processing temperature of at least about 45° C. or above 55° C. for between about 10 and 40 days.

9:

• The process according to claim 1, wherein the temperature of the tobacco material reaches the ambient processing temperature within about 4 to 10 days.

10:

• The process according to claim 1, wherein the temperature of the tobacco material reaches a second temperature that is higher than the ambient processing temperature.

11:

• The process according to claim 10, wherein the second temperature is at least 2° C. above the ambient processing temperature

12:

• The process according to claim 10, wherein the second temperature is reached within about 7 to 13 days.

13:

• The process according to claim 1, wherein the ambient processing humidity is between about 50-500 g water/m3 for ambient processing temperatures around or above 100° C., about 50-340 g water/m3 for ambient processing temperatures around 90° C., about 50-230 g water/m3 for ambient processing temperatures around 80° C., about 50-160 g water/m3 for ambient processing temperatures around 70° C., about 50-110 g water/m3 for ambient processing temperatures around 60° C., about 40-80 g water/m3 for ambient processing temperatures around 55° C. or about 30-70 g water/m3 for ambient processing temperatures around 45° C.

14:

• The process according to claim 1, wherein the moisture-retaining material is wrapped around the tobacco material.

15:

• The process according to claim 14, wherein the moisture-retaining material comprises flexible polymeric material.

16:

• The process according to claim 15, wherein the flexible polymeric material comprises polyethylene.

17:

• The process according to claim 1, wherein the tobacco material is placed in a chamber to control the ambient processing temperature and/or ambient processing humidity.

18:

• The process according to claim 1, wherein the total TSNA content of the tobacco material is between about 0.4 and 0.95 μg/g.

19:

• The process according to claim 1, wherein the tobacco material comprises whole leaf tobacco.

20:

• The process according to claim 1, wherein the tobacco material does not comprise cut rag tobacco.

21:

• The process according to claim 1, wherein the tobacco material is post-curing tobacco.

22:

• The process according to claim 1, wherein the microbial content of the treated tobacco material is lower than the microbial content of the untreated tobacco material, and/or wherein the tobacco material at the end of the process is further processed for incorporation into a smoking article.

(canceled)

24:

• The process according to claim 1, wherein the tobacco material at the end of the process is suitable for incorporation into a smoking article.

(canceled)

26:

• A tobacco material secured within a moisture-retaining material, wherein the tobacco material has been exposed to an ambient processing temperature of at least about 45° C., has a packing density on a dry matter weight base of at least 200 kg/m3 and a moisture content of between about 10% and 23%, and wherein the TSNA content of the tobacco material has not increased from the TSNA content of tobacco material prior to being secured within a moisture-retaining material and exposed to an ambient processing temperature of at least about 45° C.

27:

• A smoking article or a smokeless tobacco product, which comprises the tobacco material of claim 26.

(canceled)

29:

• A tobacco extract manufactured from the tobacco material of claim 26.

30:

• A nicotine-delivery system comprising an extract according to claim 29.