EP4789555A1

EP4789555A1 - Smokeless article

Info

Publication number: EP4789555A1
Application number: EP25157025.5A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Silke NÖLLER; Nathalie Lewerenz
Original assignee: Imperial Tobacco Ltd
Current assignee: Imperial Tobacco Ltd
Priority date: 2025-02-11
Filing date: 2025-02-11
Publication date: 2026-08-12

Abstract

The present invention relates to a smokeless article for oral delivery comprising a pouch enclosing a content, comprising a filler, a nicotinic compound, and a plant material, wherein the plant material comprises a hydrophobic coating. Also described are a method of manufacturing the article and a kit comprising the article.

Description

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a smokeless article. In particular, the disclosure relates to a smokeless article for oral delivery comprising a pouch enclosing a content which comprises a nicotinic compound for oral delivery. This disclosure also relates to methods of manufacturing the smokeless article.

BACKGROUND

Smokeless articles are placed in the mouth where saliva extracts the soluble element from the content contained within. Typically, the smokeless article is placed in the oral cavity, sublingually or in the oral vestibule (between the teeth and lips/cheeks). The user may assist extraction by oral manipulation, such as by chewing and/or sucking or pressing on the outside of the mouth to squeeze the pouch.
There is a need for improved design of smokeless articles to enhance the user experience and improve the function of its constituent components.
The present invention has been devised in light of the above considerations

SUMMARY

At its most general, the present disclosure relates to a smokeless article, e.g. an oral nicotine delivery (OND) article, for oral delivery.
In a first aspect, the present disclosure provides a smokeless article for oral delivery comprising a pouch enclosing a content. The content is an oral nicotine delivery (OND) formulation. The content comprises a filler, a nicotinic compound, and a plant material. The plant material has a hydrophobic coating.
In some examples, the coated plant material may impart desirable characteristics to the content. For example, the coated plant materials may improve user perception.
In some examples, the coated plant material is coloured. In some examples, the coated plant material has a different colour, such as a contrasting colour, to a colour of the rest of the content, in particular a different colour to the filler and nicotinic compound. A contrasting colour may be a colour which differs from a first colour in that the contrasting colour is visually distinct from the first colour to the human eye. For example, the contrasting colour may have a different shade and/or tint to the first colour. In some examples the contrasting colour may reflect light of a different wavelength e.g. a wavelength differing by 50 nm or more, or 100 nm or more, or 200 nm or more, from the wavelength reflected by the first colour. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating is substantially transparent, i.e., the hydrophobic coating allows certain wavelengths of light to pass through but may be coloured. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating is substantially colourless. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating is substantially clear, i.e., transparent and colourless such that the hydrophobic coating allows light to pass through and the colour of the plant material is visible through the hydrophobic coating.
In some examples, the coated plant material is substantially colourless (e.g. it does not reflect light in the visible spectrum). In some embodiments, the coated plant material is substantially white. In some examples, the coated plant material is substantially the same colour as the rest of the content, in particular substantially the same as the filler and nicotinic compound. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating provides a substantially white appearance to the coated plant material. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating is opaque, i.e., the colour of the plant material is not visible through the hydrophobic coating.
As used herein, a hydrophobic coating refers to molecules or portions of molecules that repel water, or a hydrophobic coating may refer to a surface that has a Contact Angle (CA) with water greater than 90° at 25° C. Contact angle (CA), as used herein, means the angle at which a water/vapor interface meets a solid surface at a temperature of 25° C. Such an angle may be measured with a goniometer or other water droplet shape analysis systems with water droplet of 5 µL and at 25° C.
As used herein, a coated plant material refers to a plant material having a hydrophobic coating which covers at least 50% of the surface area of the plant material. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating covers at least 60% of the surface area of the plant material. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating covers at least 70% of the surface area of the plant material. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating covers at least 80% of the surface area of the plant material. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating covers at least 90% of the surface area of the plant material. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating covers at least 95% of the surface area of the plant material.
In some examples, the hydrophobic coating covers between 70-100% of the surface area of the plant material. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating covers between 80-100% of the surface area of the plant material. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating covers between 50-90% of the surface area of the plant material. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating covers between 60-90% of the surface area of the plant material. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating covers between 70-90% of the surface area of the plant material.
In some examples, the hydrophobic coating covers 100% of the surface area of the plant material, such that the plant material is enclosed in the hydrophobic coating.
In some examples, the hydrophobic coating is contained in an amount by weight, based on the total weight of the plant material and the coating (i.e., wherein 100% of the weight in this case corresponds to the sum of the weight of the plant material and the coating), of between 0.1-20 wt%. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating is contained in an amount by weight, based on the total weight of the plant material and the coating, of between 1-10 wt%. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating is contained in an amount by weight, based on the total weight of the plant material and the coating, of about 5 wt%.
In some examples, the hydrophobic coating has an average thickness of between 10 and 500 µm. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating has an average thickness of between 50 and 500 µm. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating has an average thickness of between 100 and 500 µm. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating has an average thickness of between 150 and 500 µm. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating has an average thickness of between 200 and 500 µm. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating has an average thickness of between 100 and 400 µm. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating has an average thickness of between 100 and 300 µm.
In some examples, the hydrophobic coating has a melting point of 40 °C or greater. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating has a melting point of 50 °C or greater. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating has a melting point of 60 °C or greater. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating has a melting point of 80 °C or greater. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating has a melting point of 100 °C or greater. Such a hydrophobic coating may not melt during manufacture of the smokeless article (e.g. due to frictional heat during mixing/blending), and/or it may not melt during use in the user's oral cavity.
In some examples, the hydrophobic coating is naturally occurring. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating is synthetic. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating is biodegradable. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating is a wax. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating is inert, e.g. does not substantially dissolve or break down in saliva under normal physiological conditions. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating is food grade.
In some examples, the hydrophobic coating is one or more, typically one, selected from the group consisting of Montan wax, cottonseed wax, animal wax, microcrystalline wax, mineral wax, palm wax, rapeseed wax, soy wax, carnauba wax, candela wax, candelilla wax, beeswax, paraffin waxes, rice bran wax, shellac, zein coating, and combinations thereof.
In some examples, the hydrophobic coating is one or more, typically one, selected from the group consisting of the carnauba (E903), candelilla wax (E902), beeswax (E901), paraffin waxes (E905), rice bran wax (E908), shellac (E904), zein coating, and combinations thereof.
In some examples, the substantially clear hydrophobic coating is clear beeswax. In some examples, the opaque hydrophobic coating is white beeswax.
A suitable hydrophobic coating is selected to prevent at least some of the colour of the plant material from bleeding out, i.e., the hydrophobic coating is selected to prevent at least some of the colour of the plant material from leaving the plant material by providing a barrier between the plant material and the rest of the contents and reducing extraction of the soluble components of the plant material by water and/or saliva.
For example, a suitable hydrophobic coating may be selected to prevent at least some of the colour of the plant material from bleeding out whilst allowing light to pass through, such that the colour of the plant material is visible through the substantially clear hydrophobic coating. For example, a suitable hydrophobic coating may be selected to prevent at least some of the colour of the plant material from bleeding out whilst preventing light to pass through, such that the colour of the plant material is not visible through the substantially opaque hydrophobic coating.
In some examples, the coated plant material reflects light within the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum. In some examples, the reflected light has a wavelength of between 380-750 nm. In some examples, the reflected light has a colour selected from red, yellow, green and blue. In some examples, the colour of the coated plant material is selected from: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, pink, teal, turquoise, brown, grey, maroon, purple, sage, and navy. In some examples, the coated plant material has one colour. In some examples, the coated plant material comprises two or more coated plant materials, the two or more coated plant materials having the same or contrasting colours. A suitable colour for the coated plant material is selected based on the intended experience of the user, such as flavour enhancement. For example, a green or blue colour may be chosen to enhance a mint or menthol experience, a red colour may be chosen to enhance a spice or heat experience, or a purple colour may be chosen to enhance a grape experience. For example, a white colour may be chosen for the hydrophobic coating to match the colour of the filler and nicotinic compound.
The coating may be formed by any suitable method known to those skilled in the art. For example, coating can be achieved by melting the hydrophobic coating and mixing in the plant materials. For example, coating can be achieved using a fluidised bed. For example, the coating can be sprayed onto the plant materials.
In some examples, the plant material comprises a herb, a spice, or a fruit plant. In some examples the plant material comprises aloe vera, star anis, chokeberry, basil, nettle, blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, strawberry leaves, dill, rosemary, green tea, black tea, white tea, mate, hibiscus, ginger, chamomile, mint leaves, liquorice root, lavender leaves or blossoms, orange peel, cranberry, yuzu, peach, lemon peel, lemongrass, coconut, eucalyptus leaves, fennel, pomegranate, grapefruit, ashwagandha, cacao peel, Opuntia leaves, cola nuts, cornflower, lime peel, tangerine peel, melon tree leaves, peach, and/or bearberry leaves.
In some examples, the plant material is freeze dried, air dried, spray dried or roller dried. In some examples, the plant material is freeze dried, thereby minimizing deterioration reactions, retaining nutrients and maintaining colour. In some examples, the plant material is air dried. In some examples, the plant material is cut, ground, rubbed, chopped, and/or grated.
In some examples, the plant material is coloured using one or more dyes or pigments. In some examples, the one or more dyes or pigments are food-grade. In some examples, the one or more dyes or pigments are naturally-occurring. In some examples, the one or more dyes or pigments are synthetic. In some examples, the choice of dye and/or pigment allows for a wide range of colour options. The one or more dyes or pigments can be used to enhance the natural colour of the plant material, thereby improving the user experience by providing visual appeal and/or psychologically imparting or enhancing added perceptions such as "freshness" and/or flavour.
In some examples, the coated plant material comprises particles with an average diameter (d50) of between 100 and 2500 µm, for example between 400 and 900 µm. Such content may have desirable characteristics. When coloured as described herein, such particles may be visually discernible from the rest of the pouch content and/or provide visual appeal.
In some examples, the coated plant material comprises particles with an average diameter (d50) of 100 µm or more. In some examples, the particles have an average diameter (d50) of 2000 µm or less. In some examples, the particles have an average diameter (d50) of 100 µm or more and 1000 µm or less. In some examples, the particles have an average diameter (d50) of 500 µm or more and 1000 µm or less. In some examples, the coated plant material comprises particles with an average diameter (d50) of about 800 µm. The coated plant material may be visually discernible from the rest of the pouch content.
In some examples, the coated plant material is contained in an amount by weight, based on the total weight of the content, of between 0.1 wt% and 10 wt%. In some examples, the coated plant material is contained in an amount by weight, based on the total weight of the content, of between 1 wt% and 5 wt%. In some examples, the coated plant material is contained in an amount by weight, based on the total weight of the content, of between 1 wt% and 3 wt%. In this way, there may be a sufficient quantity of coated plant material particles in the content to provide a content with beneficial characteristics. The coated plant material may provide a desirable speckled effect to the content which may improve the user's experience.
In some examples, the content comprises a flavourant loaded thereon. In some examples, the flavourant has been pre-loaded onto the filler, i.e. prior to combination of the coated plant materials with any of the other components of the pouch content. In this way, the flavour can be associated with the filler and can alter the flavour release profile. Furthermore, loading flavourant into the filler in this way may improve the user experience by enhancing flavour perception of the overall content.
In some examples, the filler comprises a fibrous material. In some examples, the filler consists of a fibrous material. In some examples, the fibrous material consists of water-insoluble fibres. In some examples, the water-insoluble fibres are wheat fibres or bamboo fibres. In this way, strength and softness can be provided to the smokeless article and may provide desirable structure and mouthfeel properties.
As used herein, the coated plant material may act as an anti-caking agent in the content by preventing the fibres and other components agglomerating. Such may improve the blend/powder characteristics, for example the flowability, of the content, for example how freely the mixed content flows for manufacturing and pouch filling. The coated plant material may facilitate effective pouching during manufacture.
The coated plant material may enhance mouthfeel during use. The wax coating reduces the amount of bleeding of the soluble components from the plant material, such that a desirable balance of favourable mouthfeel and product stability/shelf-life may be provided. Coloured coated plant material as described herein may improve the user experience by providing visual appeal and/or psychologically imparting or enhancing added perceptions such as "freshness" and/or flavour.
In a second aspect, the present disclosure provides a method of manufacturing a smokeless article for oral delivery comprising a pouch enclosing a content.
In some examples, the method comprises the steps: (a) mixing a nicotinic compound, at least one fibrous material, and a coated plant material to form the content; (b) adding the content to the pouch or forming the pouch around the content. In some examples, the coated plant material comprises a hydrophobic coating which covers between 50-100% of the surface area of the plant material. In some examples, the coated plant material comprises a hydrophobic coating that covers 100% of the surface area of the plant material, such that the plant material is enclosed in the hydrophobic coating.
In some examples, the method of manufacturing the smokeless article comprises a step of coating the plant material with a hydrophobic coating prior to mixing with the rest of the content. In some examples, the coating step may be carried out by any suitable method known to those skilled in the art. For example, coating can be achieved by melting the hydrophobic coating and mixing in the plant materials. For example, coating can be achieved using a fluidised bed. For example, the coating can be sprayed onto the plant materials.
In some examples, the coated plant material is contained in an amount of between 0.1 wt% and 10 wt%, based on the total weight of the content.
In some examples, the smokeless article produced by the method is a smokeless article according to the first aspect.
In some examples, in step (a), the nicotinic compound and the at least one fibrous material are mixed prior to the addition of the coated plant material. In this way the coated plant material may be less likely to be damaged (e.g. by breaching of the coating) during the mixing process.
In some examples, the method further comprises a step of colouring the plant material by combining the plant material with a colourant prior to coating with the hydrophobic coating. In this way, the colour of the plant material can be enhanced, and colour can be imparted to the plant material and only to the plant material. Such coloured particles may appear as visibly distinct compared to the rest of the content.
In some examples, the method further comprises a step adding a flavourant to the content. In some examples, the flavourant can be added to the content with the nicotinic compound, at least one fibrous material, and a coated plant material. In some examples, the flavourant can be added to the nicotinic compound and at least one fibrous material prior to addition of the coated plant material. In this way the coated plant material may be less likely to be damaged during the mixing process. In adding a flavourant, user experience may be enhanced.
In a third aspect, the present disclosure provides a use of a plant material comprising a hydrophobic coating in a smokeless article for oral cosumption, the smokeless articles comprising a pouch enclosing a content, to improve user experience. In some examples, the smokeless articles may be a smokeless article according to the first aspect or produced by a method according to the second aspect.
In a fourth aspect, the present disclosure provides a kit comprising a plurality of smokeless articles according to the first aspect or produced according to the second aspect, and a container.
As used herein, "food-grade" refers to a compound or material which is permitted to come into direct contact with food meant for human consumption, as determined by a governmental body of a jurisdiction such as the UK, the EU, or the USA. Food-grade materials are non-toxic and can be used within the recommended temperature range.
As used herein, "pharmaceutical-grade" refers to a compound or material which is of a standard of purity suitable for medicinal use, as determined by a governmental body of a jurisdiction such as the UK, the EU, or the USA.
As used herein, and in reference to an amount of a component, "based on the total weight of the content" means that the sum of all components within the content is 100 wt%.
As used herein, the term "oral delivery" is intended to refer to any oral administration route achieved by placing the smokeless article into the oral cavity. This includes, but is not limited to, buccal, sub-lingual, periodontal, gingival and ingestion.
The smokeless article comprises a pouch enclosing a content, wherein the content is completely enclosed by the pouch. The pouch is sealed to ensure that the content of the pouch does not scatter inside the mouth.
The smokeless article may have a mass of about 0.1 g to 5.0 g, such as about 0.5 g to about 4.0 g or about 1.0 g to about 3.0 g.
The smokeless article may have a length of about 26 to about 40 mm, such as about 28 mm, about 30 mm, about 32 mm, about 34 mm, about 36 mm or about 38 mm. The smokeless article may have a width of about 8 mm to about 18 mm, such as about 10 mm, about 12 mm, about 14 mm, about 16 mm, or about 18 mm. The smokeless article may have a depth of about 5 mm, such as about 4 mm or 3 mm.
The smokeless article may have an active lifetime of about 20 minutes to about 60 minutes, such as about 25 minutes to 50 minutes or about 30 minutes to about 45 minutes, after being placed in the mouth. As used herein, the term "active lifetime" is intended to refer to the amount of time after being placed in the mouth that the smokeless article provides the user with a perceptible taste and/or physiological experience. For example, for an article containing an active ingredient such as nicotine or other pharmacologically active ingredient the active lifetime may be defined as the in-use period of time in which 90% wt of the available pharmacologically active is released. In other words, the active lifetime may be the duration of time from insertion into the oral cavity for 90% wt of the total amount of nicotine pharmacologically active ingredient that is capable of being released during normal use to dissolve into the user's saliva and /or enter the user's bloodstream. It will therefore be appreciated that the active lifetime of a product may vary from user to user and for a user based on oral conditions, in particular extent of salivation. Nonetheless, the skilled person is able to mimic oral conditions to determine the active lifetime in one instance, which can be used as a comparison or analysis point.
The pouch may be formed from one or more materials. The pouch material may be formed from fibre, paper, cloth and/or fabric. The pouch material may be formed from one or more polymeric materials. The polymeric material may be selected from one or more of hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), polyethylene oxide (PEO), hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), polyethylene glycol (PEG), pullulan, sodium alginate, xanthan gum, tragancanth gum, guar gum, acacia gum, arabic gum, polyacrylic acid, maltodextrin, methylmethacrylate copolymer, carboxyvinyl copolymers, starch, and gelatin.
The pouch is typically completely insoluble in saliva. Suitable insoluble pouch materials include, but are not limited to, fibre, paper, water-insoluble polymers, cloth, and fabric. Suitable soluble pouch materials include, but are not limited to, water-soluble polymers such as polyethylene oxide (PEO), hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC).
The pouch may be formed by, for example, folding a single sheet on itself or bringing two or more sheets together and sealing the edges. The edges may initially be partially sealed to provide an open pouch in which the content (e.g. a nicotinic compound and non-tobacco plant material fibres) may be placed before completely sealing the pouch closed. The sheets may be the same thickness or different thicknesses. The pouch may be translucent or substantially transparent. For example, the pouch may be formed of one or more sheets sufficiently thin such that the colour of the content is at least partially visible from the exterior of the pouch.
The pouch is porous. In some examples, at least 50% of the pores have a diameter of 50 µm to 200 µm, such as 100 µm to 175 µm, or 125 µm to 150 µm. In some examples, at least 50% of the pores have a diameter of at least 100 µm. In some examples, at least 55%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%, 90%, 95% or 100% of the pores have such diameters.
The pouch may be coloured or include markings, such as brand logos and text, to improve user perception. The pouch may be partially or completely coloured by a colourant.
The nicotinic compound may be selected from nicotine, nicotine salt(s), nicotine complex(es); and nicotine solvate(s).
In some examples, the smokeless article is tobacco free. In this way, the user may experience a similar or enhanced recreational/pharmaceutical effect as compared to conventional tobacco-containing products without experiencing undesirable components inherent to tobacco (e.g. tobacco flavour).
In some examples, the content comprises a nicotinic compound (e.g. nicotine) in an amount of from 0.3 wt% to 2 wt%, for example from 0.4 wt% to 2 wt%, from 0.5 wt% to 2 wt%, from 0.5 wt% to 1.9 wt%, from 0.8 wt% to 1.8 wt%, from 1 wt% to 1.6 wt%, from 1.2 wt% to 1.6 wt%, or from 1.3 wt% to 1.5 wt%, based on the total weight of the content.
In some examples, the total nicotinic compound (e.g. nicotine) content per pouch is from 1 to 20 mg. In some examples, the nicotinic compound content per pouch is about 3-15 mg. In some examples, the nicotinic compound content per pouch is about 1-6 mg. In some examples, the nicotinic compound content per pouch is about 6-9 mg. In some examples, the nicotinic compound content per pouch is about 9-15 mg. For example, the nicotinic compound content per pouch may be about 8 mg.
In some examples, the content further comprises water and the amount of water in the content is from 30 wt% to 60 wt%, for example from 35 wt% to 60 wt%, from 40 wt% to 60 wt%, from 40 wt% to 55 wt%, from 40 wt% to 50 wt%, or from 42 wt% to 50 wt% based on the total weight of the content. In some examples, the amount of water in the content is from 42 wt% to 48 wt%, based on the total weight of the content.
The content may comprise one or more additional substance. Each additional substance may individually be a biologically/pharmacologically active compound, humectant, flavourant, filler, preservative, aqueous/non-aqueous solvent and binder. Each additional substance may be provided for more than one purpose.
The contents of the pouch (i.e. the ingredients, material and/or substances enclosed within the pouch) occupies substantially all of the internal volume of the pouch. The contents may occupy about 80%, 85%, 90%, 95% or 100% of the internal volume of the pouch. The contents may comprise a solid material to provide physical integrity, such as an organic material (e.g. plant material) or an inorganic material. Such solid materials may naturally or inherently contain one or more biologically/pharmacologically active compounds and/or additives.
Biologically/pharmacologically active compounds are provided to produce a pharmacological effect in the user. Suitable biologically/pharmacologically active compounds include the group consisting of: nicotine, caffeine, cathine and cathinone, kavalactones, mysticin, beta-carboline alkaloids, salvinorin A, together with any combinations, functional equivalents to, and/or synthetic alternatives of the foregoing. Biologically/pharmacologically active compounds may also have additive properties.
In some examples the content includes an active compound comprising nicotine and wherein the form of nicotine is selected from the group consisting of nicotine salts, nicotine base, stabilized nicotine and mixtures thereof. For example, the content may include at least one nicotine salt selected from the group consisting of nicotine hydrochloride, nicotine dihydrochloride, nicotine monotartrate, nicotine ditartrate, nicotine ditartrate dihydrate, nicotine sulfate, nicotine zinc chloride monohydrate, nicotine salicylate and mixtures thereof.
Solvents may be provided in the OND formulation to improve the mouthfeel of the smokeless article and reduce the amount of saliva wetting required before the user experience begins. The addition of solvents to the precursor blend can also assist with the mixing of the components and ensure that a homogeneous coating of the bulking agent is achieved by the solvent. Suitable solvents may be any solvent approved for use in food products in the UK and Europe, such as water, saline or water alcohol mixtures. The solvent may be water.
Plant materials are included in the content of the smokeless articles according to the present disclosure. That is, the content comprises a plant material in the form of a plurality of particles. The particles referred to herein are distinct from the fibrous material contained in the content. For examples, the plant material particles described herein may form a particulate component of the content, which is distinct from, though may be intimately mixed with, other components (e.g. the at least one fibrous material) of the content. In some examples, the particles may also be referred to as grains, granules, beads, microbeads, etc. In some examples the nature of the particles may have an effect on the blend/powder characteristics of the content. The plant material particles herein have a hydrophobic coating. In some examples, the plant material particles may be coloured particles. Such coloured particles may appear coloured to the human eye, reflecting a wavelength in the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum. In some examples, the plant material particles have a hydrophobic coating suitable to prevent the colour of the plant material from bleeding out. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating allows light to pass through it, such that the colour of the plant material is visible through the substantially clear hydrophobic coating. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating prevents light from passing through it, such that the colour of the plant material is not visible through the substantially opaque hydrophobic coating. The properties of the plant material particles are described under the below headings, which are not intended to be limiting.

Material

In some examples, the plant material comprises a herb, a spice, or a fruit plant. In some examples the plant material comprises aloe vera, star anis, chokeberry, basil, nettle, blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, strawberry leaves, dill, rosemary, green tea, black tea, white tea, mate, hibiscus, ginger, chamomile, mint leaves, liquorice root, lavender leaves or blossoms, orange peel, cranberry, yuzu, peach, lemon peel, lemongrass, coconut, eucalyptus leaves, fennel, pomegranate, grapefruit, ashwagandha, cacao peel, Opuntia leaves, cola nuts, cornflower, lime peel, tangerine peel, melon tree leaves, peach, and/or bearberry leaves.
In some examples, the plant material is freeze dried, air dried, spray dried or roller dried. In some examples, the plant material is freeze dried, thereby minimizing deterioration reactions, retaining nutrients and maintaining colour. In some examples, the plant material is air dried. In some examples, the plant material is cut, ground, rubbed, chopped, or grated.

Coating

The plant material particles herein have a hydrophobic coating. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating is made from a polymer. In some examples, the polymer is food-grade. In some examples, the polymer is pharmaceutical grade. The polymer may be a synthetic polymer. A synthetic polymer may be wholly or partially synthetic. In some examples, the polymer is a biopolymer, or a bio-derived polymer. A biopolymer may be a naturally occurring polymer or a polymer derived from a natural source. A bio-derived polymer may be a polymer derived from a natural source. In some examples, a biopolymer may be one or more selected from collagen, actin, fibrin, starch (e.g., corn starch), cellulose, alginate, gelatin, xanthan gum, tragancanth gum, guar gum, acacia gum, arabic gum, and polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), for example cellulose. In some examples, a bio-derived polymer may be one or more selected from microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC), poly(lactic acid) (PLA), maltodextrin, poly(glycolic acid) (PGA), poly(ε-caprolactone), and polybutylene succinate (PBS), for example MCC. In some examples, a synthetic polymer may be a wax, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), polyethylene oxide (PEO), or polyethylene glycol (PEG). In some examples, the hydrophobic coating is cellulosic. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating is made from or comprises cellulose. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating is or comprises MCC. In some examples, the polymer is biodegradable. In some examples, a polymer is biodegradable if it is capable of breaking down naturally in the environment, for example through decomposition by bacteria or one or more other decomposers and/or detritivores. In some examples, a biodegradable polymer may typically be divided into subunits by such bacteria, decomposer and/or detritivore. In some examples the subunits may be smaller sections (units) of the polymer, such as monomer units. In some examples, the subunits are the same as each other, and in some examples the subunits are not the same as each other. In some examples, biodegradable polymers are broken down by processes including oxidation and/or hydrolysis.
In some examples, the hydrophobic coating is made from a wax. In some examples, the wax is food-grade. In some examples, the wax is pharmaceutical grade. The wax may be naturally occurring or synthetic. In some examples, the wax is synthetic. A synthetic wax may be obtained by Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. In some examples, the wax is naturally occurring. In some examples, the wax is polymeric. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating may be one or more selected from: Montan wax, cottonseed wax, animal wax, microcrystalline wax, mineral wax, palm wax, rapeseed wax, soy wax, carnauba wax, candela wax, candelilla wax, beeswax, paraffin waxes, rice bran wax, shellac, zein coating, and combinations thereof. For example, the hydrophobic coating may be one or more selected from: carnauba (E903), candelilla wax (E902), beeswax (E901), paraffin waxes (E905), rice bran wax (E908), shellac (E904), zein coating, and combinations thereof. In some examples, the plant material particles are coated with two or more different waxes. In this way, some plant material particles may be coated with one kind of wax, and other plant material particles may be coated with a different kind of wax. In some examples, the wax is biodegradable.
The melting point of the hydrophobic coating may be measured by any method common in the art. For example, in the case of waxes it is possible to use the drop melting point method (for example, as described in ISO 6244:1982), or the open capillary method (for example, as described in ISO 6321:2021 in reference to fats and oils).
In some examples, the hydrophobic coating has a melting point of 40 °C or greater. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating has a melting point of 45 °C or greater, 50 °C or greater, 55 °C or greater, 60 °C or greater, 65 °C or greater, 70 °C or greater, 75 °C or greater, 80 °C or greater, 85 °C or greater, 90 °C or greater, 95 °C or greater, 100 °C or greater, 105 °C or greater, 108 °C or greater, 110 °C or greater, 113 °C or greater, 115 °C or greater, 120 °C or greater, 125 °C or greater, 135 °C or greater, 150 °C or greater, 175 °C or greater, 200 °C or greater, 225 °C or greater, or 250 °C or greater.
In some examples, the hydrophobic coating has a melting point of 500 °C or less. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating has a melting point of 450 °C or less, 400 °C or less, 350 °C or less, 300 °C or less, 275 °C or less, 250 °C or less, 225 °C or less, 200 °C or less, 175 °C or less, 150 °C or less, 125 °C or less, 120 °C or less, 115 °C or less, 113 °C or less, 108 °C or less, 105 °C or less, or 100 °C or less. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating has a melting point of 200 °C or less.
In some examples, the hydrophobic coating has a melting point of between about 60 and 70 °C.
During manufacture of the smokeless article, the components of the content may heat up slightly during blending/mixing due to friction. For example, the content may heat up to approximately 40 °C, or approximately 50 °C. The temperature may depend on factors such as duration and scale of mixing. It may be possible to avoid, minimise or reduce melting of the hydrophobic coating during preparation of the content by using a hydrophobic coating with a melting point higher than the temperature of mixing. In some examples, melted hydrophobic coating may impact the blend/powder characteristics and/or the visual appearance of the product. In some examples, such melting temperatures of the hydrophobic coating may also avoid melting of the hydrophobic coating during use, e.g. in the user's oral vestibule.
In some examples, the hydrophobic coating is contained in an amount by weight, based on the total weight of the plant material and the coating (i.e., wherein 100% of the weight in this case corresponds to the sum of the weight of the plant material and the coating), of between 0.1-20 wt%. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating is contained in an amount by weight, based on the total weight of the plant material and the coating, of between 0.5-20 wt%, 1-20 wt%, 1-18 wt%, 2-18 wt%, 2-16 wt%, 2-14 wt%, 2-12 wt%, 2-10 wt%, or 2-8 wt%. In some examples, the hydrophobic coating is contained in an amount by weight, based on the total weight of the plant material and the coating, of about 5 wt%.
In some examples, plant materials having an amount of coating under the above may be insufficiently coated to prevent or sufficiently restrict bleeding of the soluble components from the plant material into the rest of the content of the pouch. In some examples, plant materials having an amount of coating above the amounts above may negatively impact the blend/powder characteristics of the pouch.
Typically, the hydrophobic coating prevents at least some of the colour of the plant material from bleeding out, i.e., the hydrophobic coating is selected to prevent at least some of the colour of the plant material from leaving the material by providing a barrier between the plant material and the rest of the contents and reducing extraction of the soluble components of the plant material by water and/or saliva. As such, the hydrophobic coating creates a barrier between the plant material particles and the rest of the content of the pouch, reducing homogenisation of the soluble components of the plant material particles and the other components of the content. Such restriction of the bleeding of components may reduce or prevent unwanted discolouration of the content and/or of the pouch material which can be caused, in the absence of a coating as provided in the present disclosure, by components of the plant material bleeding out from the plant material.
The plant material particles having the hydrophobic coating may improve the blend/powder characteristics of the content. For example, the coated plant material particles may act as an anti-caking agent to prevent agglomeration or clumping of other components in the content. The coated plant material particles may improve the flowability of the content. The improved blend/powder characteristics may help to improve the filling of the pouch during manufacture.
When the hydrophobic coating is made from a wax, the plant material particles having the hydrophobic coating are suitably stable in the product and may provide an improved mouthfeel to the user. Such a favourable mouthfeel may be a result of the deformable nature of wax upon mechanical manipulation (e.g. by the user's tongue or lips).
The hydrophobic coating may help preserve the plant material, such that the plant material does not deteriorate. The hydrophobic coating may improve the durability of the contents and the pouch.

Colour

In some examples, the plant material particles are naturally coloured. In some examples, the plant material possess colour as perceived by a human. In some examples, the coated plant material is visibly coloured. In some examples, the coated plant material does not appear white to the human eye. In some examples, the coating of the coated plant material is not transparent. In some examples, the coated plant material appears white to the human eye. In some examples, "plant material" refers to particles having inherent colour characteristics. In some examples, "coated plant material" refers to coated plant materials have inherent colour characteristics. In some examples, "plant material" refers to particles which have been coloured using a colourant, such as a dye or pigment. In some examples, the plant material reflects light in the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum. In some examples, the plant material reflects light with a wavelength between 380 and 750 nm. In some examples, colour may be defined by a range of wavelengths of light corresponding to a particular colour, and the ranges of wavelengths may overlap for adjacent colours (e.g. red and orange may overlap). In some examples, the reflected light includes or is red (e.g. 620 to 750 nm), yellow (e.g. 570 to 590 nm), green (e.g. 495 to 570 nm) or blue (e.g. 450 to 495 nm) light. For example, the plant material may comprise or have a colour selected from: red (e.g. 620 to 750 nm), orange (e.g. 590 to 620 nm), yellow (e.g. 570 to 590 nm) green (e.g. 495 to 570 nm), blue (e.g. 450 to 495 nm), indigo (e.g. 420 to 450 nm), and violet (e.g. 380 to 420 nm). In some examples, the plant material comprises or has a colour selected from: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, pink, teal, turquoise, brown, grey, maroon, purple, sage, and navy. In some examples, the colour is not black. In some examples, the plant material's colour contrasts with the colour of the rest of the pouch content. In some examples, the coated plant material's colour contrasts with the colour of the rest of the pouch content. In some examples, the coated plant material's colour is substantially the same as the colour of the rest of the pouch content.
In some examples, the colours may be present as a light shade or a dark shade, or any shade in between. In some examples, the plant material consists of particles of the same colour, i.e. all of the particles are approximately the same colour. In some examples, the plant material comprises particles of different colours. In some examples, the plant material comprises particles of a first colour and particles of a second colour, wherein the first and second colour are different. In some examples, the plant material further comprises particles of a third colour, optionally further comprising particles of a fourth colour. In some examples, the plant material particles each, independently, have a consistent colour on their surface so that the particles appear as solid colours. In some examples, the plant material particles are blue. In some examples, the plant material particles are green. In some examples, the plant material particles are red. In some examples, the plant material particles are yellow.
In some examples, the plant material particles are coloured with one or more colourants. In some examples, the plant material particles are coloured with a single colourant. In some examples, the plant material particles are coloured with a mixture of two or more colourants. In some examples, the colourant is food-grade. In some examples, the colourant is pharmaceutical-grade. The colourant may be naturally-occurring or synthetic. In some examples, the colourant is naturally-occurring. In some examples, the colourant is synthetic. The colourant may be organic or inorganic. In some examples, the colourant is organic (e.g. from a biologic source). In some examples, the colourant is inorganic (e.g. from a mineral source). In some examples, the colourant is a pigment or a dye. In some examples, the colourant is a pigment. In some examples, the pigment is insoluble in water. In some examples, the pigment is soluble in water. In some examples, the pigment is a lacquered pigment. In some examples, the lacquered pigment is a pigment which has been coated with an aluminium compound. In some examples, the lacquered pigment is a water-soluble pigment which has been coated with a lacquer (e.g. an aluminium compound) to form a water-insoluble lacquered pigment. In some examples, the colourant is a dye. In some examples, the plant material particles are coated with the colourant, for example the colourant forms a coating around the particles. In some examples, the plant material particles are impregnated with the colourant. For example, if the plant material particles are porous the colourant may be at least partially contained within the pores. In some examples, the plant material particles are combined with the colourant prior to forming the coated plant material particles and the colourant is dispersed or applied throughout the plant material particles.
In some examples, the colourant is a triarylmethane dye or a pigment. For example, the colourant may be "Brilliant blue FCF" (E133), also known as "Blue 1" and "FD&C Blue No. 1" (IUPAC name: disodium;2-[[4-[ethyl-[(3-sulfonatophenyl)methyl]amino]phenyl]-[4-[ethyl-[(3-sulfonatophenyl)methyl]azaniumylidene]cyclohexa-2,5-dien-1-ylidene]methyl]benzenesulfonate). For example, the colourant may be an insoluble form of Blue 1, such as "Blue 1 Lake" or an aluminium salt of Blue 1.
In some examples, a colourants may be selected from one or more of common colourants such as curcumin (E100), turmeric (E100(ii)), riboflavin (E101), riboflavin-5'-phosphate (E101(ii)), tartrazine (E102), quinoline yellow (E104), riboflavin-5-sodium phosphate (E106), yellow 2G (E107), sunset yellow FCF (E110), carmine, cochineal (E120), azorubine (E122), amaranth (E123), ponceau 4R (E124), erythrosine (E127), red 2G (E128), allura red AC (E129), patent blue V (E131), indigotine (E132), brilliant blue FCF (E133), chlorophylls (E140), copper complexes of chlorophyll (E141), green S (E142), caramel (E150a-d), brown FK (E154), brown HT (E155), alfa-, beta- and gamma- carotene (E160a), annatto, bixin, norbixin (E160b), bell pepper (Paprika) extract (E160c), lycopene (E160d), beta- apo-8'-carotenal (E160e), ethyl ester of beta-apo-8'-carotenic acid (E160f), flavoxanthin (E161a), lutein (E161b), cryptoxanthin (E161c), rubixanthin (E161d), violaxanthin (E161e), rhodoxanthin (E161f), canthaxanthin (E1619), citranaxanthin (E161h), beetroot extract (E162), anthocyanins (E163), calcium carbonate (E170), titanium dioxide (E171), iron oxides (E172), aluminium (E173), silver (E174), gold (E175), lithol rubine BK (E180), tannins (E181).
In some examples, the coated plant material particles have a different colour to the rest of the pouch content, such as a contrasting colour. In some examples, the coated plant material particles are present in the pouch content at smaller wt% than the wt% of the rest of the pouch content. In some examples, the coated plant material particles, such as when present in such proportion, may impart a particular visual effect to the smokeless article. For example, the coated plant material particles may impart a speckled appearance, a spotted appearance, a dotted appearance, a flecked appearance, a stippled appearance, or a freckled appearance to the pouch content. In some examples, at least a portion of the coated plant material particles may be at least partially visible through the pouch. For example, the smokeless article may appear speckled. In some examples, at least some of the coated plant material particles are visible within the pouch as discrete and/or distinct coloured dots/spots/shapes. In some examples, the coloured particles are visually distinct from the colour of the rest of the pouch content, for example the coloured plant material particles may have a different colour to the fibrous material of the content. A speckled visual effect may mean the coated plant material particles are visibly discrete particles when viewed on the macroscopic scale, so that the coated plant material particles may appear as coloured specks or dots in the pouch. In some examples, the coated plant material particles are dispersed or distributed throughout the content. In some examples, the coated plant material particles are discretely dispersed or distributed throughout the content. For example, the coated plant material particles may not be a fine powder dispersed throughout the content. In some examples, the coated plant material particles are arranged so as not to impart an overall, consistent block colour to the entire content. In some examples, the coated plant material particles are observable as discrete particles throughout the content. For example, the coated plant material particles may be spaced apart from each other in the content. In some examples, the coated plant material particles may be interposed by another component of the content, such as the fibrous material. In some examples, there are regions of the content of the pouch which are visibly different in colour to the coated plant material particles (e.g. there may be regions in which the colour of the fibrous material is dominant). In some examples, the coated plant particles are uniformly distributed or dispersed in the content. In some examples, the content is generally isotropic.
In some examples, inclusion of coloured plant material particles may improve the user experience by providing visual appeal to the product. In some examples, the colour may be associated with flavour, strength, and/or another property of the smokeless article. In some examples, the coloured pant material particles may improve the user's experience of the product, for example they may psychologically or subconsciously improve or enhance the user's perception. In some examples, the coloured plant material particles may increase the "freshness" perception of the product. For example, the coloured particles may increase or enhance the strength perception of the product.
Additionally, the inclusion of coloured plant material particles may aid in the manufacturing process. For example, the coloured plant material particles may provide a visual indication to the manufacturer of the degree of homogeneity or isotropicity of the content before or after it is enclosed by the pouch, which may in turn allow the manufacturer to determine when sufficient mixing of the components has occurred. This may save on time and/or costs in the mixing process, and/or may help avoid overmixing and/or damage to the coloured plant material particles. Coloured plant material particles may allow for an easy and convenient quality control check at the end of the mixing or pouch filling process.
In some examples, the coated plant material particles have substantially the same colour to the rest of the pouch content. In some examples, the coated plant material particles are substantially white. In some examples, the coloured plant material particles appear substantially white due to the presence of a white opaque hydrophobic coating on the coloured plant material particles. In some examples, the coated plant material particles, such as when present in the same colour as the rest of the pouch content, may allow the inclusion of plant material, such as tobacco, without imparting a speckled appearance, a spotted appearance, a dotted appearance, a flecked appearance, a stippled appearance, or a freckled appearance to the pouch content.

Size

Unless otherwise specified, the particle size of a particle refers to the length of its longest axis, for example when viewed as a projection. In the case of spherical or approximately spherical particles, this can be interpreted as its diameter. The particle size distribution can be determined using laser diffraction methods (such as described in ISO 13320:2020), or light/electron microscopy static image analysis (such as described in ISO 13322-1 :2014).
In reference to size distributions, dXX may be interpreted as the size of which XX% of the particles in the distribution are smaller than. For example, d50 may be the size which half of the particles (50%) are smaller than. The median size can be described as the d50. As another example, d10 may be the size which 10% of the particles are smaller than, and d90 is the size which 90% of the particles are smaller than. Unless otherwise specified, the average particle size may be interpreted as the median particle size.
In some examples, the particles have a monomodal particle size distribution. In some examples, the particles have a monodisperse size distribution. In some examples, the particles have a multimodal distribution of particle sizes.
In some examples, the coated plant material particles have an average particle size (d50) of between 100 µm and 2500 µm. For example, the average particle size (d50) may be between 200 and 2250 µm, between 200 and 2000 µm, between 200 and 1750 µm, between 200 and 1500 µm, between 200 and 1250 µm, between 200 and 1000 µm, between 200 and 900 µm, between 300 and 900 µm, between 400 and 900 µm, between 300 and 800 µm, between 400 and 800 µm, between 420 and 840 µm, between 450 and 800 µm, between 500 and 800 µm, between 600 and 800 µm, between 500 and 600 µm, between 600 and 700 µm, or between 700 and 800 µm. In some examples, the average particle size (d50) of the particles is between 400 and 900 µm. In some examples, the average particle size (d50) of the particles is between 420 and 840 µm.
In some examples, the average particle size (d50) is 200 µm or more, 250 µm or more, 300 µm or more, 350 µm or more, 400 µm or more, 420 µm or more, 450 µm or more, 500 µm or more, 550 µm or more, 600 µm or more, 650 µm or more, 700 µm or more, 750 µm or more, 800 µm or more, 850 µm or more, 900 µm or more, 950 µm or more, 1000 µm or more, 1100 µm or more, 1200 µm or more, 1300 µm or more, 1400 µm or more, 1500 µm or more, 1750 µm or more, or 2000 µm or more. In some examples, the average particle size (d50) is 2500 µm or less, 2250 µm or less, 2000 µm or less, 1750 µm or less, 1500 µm or less, 1400 µm or less, 1300 µm or less, 1200 µm or less, 1100 µm or less, 1000 µm or less, 950 µm or less, 900 µm or less, 850 µm or less, 840 µm or less, 800 µm or less, 750 µm or less, 700 µm or less, 650 µm or less, 600 µm or less, 550 µm or less, 500 µm or less, 450 µm or less, 400 µm or less, or 350 µm or less.
In some examples, the coated plant material particles have an average particle size (d50) of 420 µm or more. In some examples, the coated plant material particles have an average particle size (d50) of 840 µm or less.
In some examples, the coated plant material particles have an average particle size (d50) of about 800 µm.
In some examples, the coated plant material particles have a d10 of 200 µm or more, 250 µm or more, 300 µm or more, 350 µm or more, 400 µm or more, 420 µm or more, 450 µm or more, 500 µm or more, 550 µm or more, 600 µm or more, 650 µm or more, 700 µm or more, 750 µm or more, 800 µm or more, 850 µm or more, 900 µm or more, 950 µm or more, 1000 µm or more, 1100 µm or more, 1200 µm or more, 1300 µm or more, 1400 µm or more, 1500 µm or more, 1750 µm or more, or 2000 µm or more.
In some examples, the coated plant material particles have a d90 of 2500 µm or less, 2250 µm or less, 2000 µm or less, 1750 µm or less, 1500 µm or less, 1400 µm or less, 1300 µm or less, 1200 µm or less, 1100 µm or less, 1000 µm or less, 950 µm or less, 900 µm or less, 850 µm or less, 840 µm or less, 800 µm or less, 750 µm or less, 700 µm or less, 650 µm or less, 600 µm or less, 550 µm or less, 500 µm or less, 450 µm or less, 400 µm or less, or 350 µm or less.
In some examples, the coated plant material particles have a d10 of 420 µm or more. In some examples, the particles have a d90 of 840 µm or less.
The size distribution of the particles may also be defined by sieve analysis, in which a sample is passed through a set of sieves with varying mesh. In some examples, a sample is placed on a sieve with a known mesh and agitated, and particles with a particle size (e.g. a diameter or a longest dimension) which is greater than the size of the apertures in the sieve do not pass through the sieve while those with a particle size (e.g. a diameter or longest dimension) which is the smaller than the size of the apertures are able to pass through. In some examples, the sieves are defined by their mesh, for which the standard conversion is known to those skilled in the art and can be found, for example, on the Sigma Aldrich website (https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/GB/en/support/calculators-and-apps/particle-size-conversion-table).
In some examples, a maximum particle size can be determined by finding the sieve with a mesh through which all of the particles pass, and a minimum particle size can be determined by finding the sieve with a mesh through which none of the particles pass. In some examples, sieve analysis also provides a means to select the size range of the sample with a desired maximum and minimum size, this is done by discarding all particles which do not pass through the desired maximum size mesh and discarding all those which do pass through the desired minimum size mesh.
In some examples, the maximum particle size as determined by sieve analysis is Mesh 7 (2830 µm). For example, the maximum particle size may be Mesh 8 (2380 µm), Mesh 10 (2000 µm), Mesh 12 (1680 µm), Mesh 14 (1410 µm), Mesh 16 (1190 µm), Mesh 18 (1000 µm), Mesh 20 (841 µm), Mesh 25 (707 µm), Mesh 30 (595 µm), Mesh 35 (500 µm), or Mesh 40 (420 µm). For example, the maximum particle size may be Mesh 20.
In some examples, the minimum particle size as determined by sieve analysis is Mesh 80 (177 µm). For example, the minimum particle size may be Mesh 70 (210 µm), Mesh 60 (250 µm), Mesh 50 (297 µm), Mesh 45 (354 µm), Mesh 40 (420 µm), Mesh 35 (500 µm), Mesh 30 (595 µm), Mesh 25 (707 µm), Mesh 20 (841 µm), Mesh 18 (1000 µm), Mesh 16 (1190 µm), Mesh 14 (1410 µm), Mesh 12 (1680 µm), or Mesh 10 (2000 µm). For example, the minimum particle size may be Mesh 40.
In some examples, particles having a size outside the above may have insufficient effect on blend/powder characteristics. In some examples with reference to coloured coated plant material particles, particles having a size outside the above may be less visibly discernible to the user and/or a desired visual effect such as speckling may be less evident.

Amount

In some examples, the coated plant material particles are contained in an amount by weight, based on the total weight of the content, of between 0.1 wt% and 10 wt%. The total weight of the content is 100 wt%.
In some examples, the amount of the coated plant material particles is 0.1 wt% or more. For example, the amount is 0.25 wt% or more, 0.5 wt% or more, 0.75 wt% or more, 1.0 wt% or more, 1.25 wt% or more, 1.5 wt% or more, 1.75 wt% or more, 2.0 wt% or more, 2.05 wt% or more, 2.1 wt% or more, 2.15 wt% or more, 2.2 wt% or more, 2.25 wt% or more, 2.5 wt% or more, 2.75 wt% or more, 3.0 wt% or more, 3.25 wt% or more, 3.5 wt% or more, 3.75 wt% or more, 4.0 wt% or more, 4.5 wt% or more, 5.0 wt% or more, 5.5 wt% or more, 6.0 wt% or more, 6.5 wt% or more, 7.0 wt% or more, 7.5 wt% or more, 8.0 wt% or more, 8.5 wt% or more, or 9.0 wt% or more. In some examples, the amount is 2.0 wt% or more, for example, 2.1 wt% or more.
In some examples, the amount of the coated plant material particles is 10 wt% or less. For example, the amount is 9.5 wt% or less, 9.0 wt% or less, 8.5 wt% or less, 8.0 wt% or less, 7.5 wt% or less, 7.0 wt% or less, 6.5 wt% or less, 6.0 wt% or less, 5.5 wt% or less, 5.0 wt% or less, 4.5 wt% or less, 4.0 wt% or less, 3.5 wt% or less, 3.25 wt% or less, 3.0 wt% or less, 2.75 wt% or less, 2.5 wt% or less, 2.25 wt% or less, 2.0 wt% or less, 1.75 wt% or less, 1.5 wt% or less, 1.25 wt% or less, or 1.0 wt% or less. In some examples, the amount is 3.0 wt% or less, for example, 2.25 wt% or less.
In some examples, the amount of the coated plant material particles is between 0.1 and 9.0 wt%, between 0.1 and 8.0 wt%, between 0.1 and 7.0 wt%, between 0.1 and 6.0 wt%, between 0.1 and 5.0 wt%, between 0.1 and 4.0 wt%, between 0.1 and 3.0 wt%, between 0.5 and 3.0 wt% between 0.75 and 3.0 wt%, between 1.0 and 5.0 wt%, between 1.0 and 4.0 wt%, between 1.0 and 3.0 wt%, between 1.25 and 3.0 wt%, between 1.5 and 3.0 wt%, between 1.75 and 3.0 wt%, between 1.5 and 2.75 wt%, between 1.5 and 2.5 wt%, between 1.75 and 2.5 wt%, between 1.75 and 2.25 wt%, between 1.75 and 2.0 wt%, or between 2.0 and 2.25 wt%. In some examples, the amount is between 1.0 and 3.0 wt%. In some examples, the amount is between 1.75 and 2.25 wt%.
In some examples, the amount of the coated plant material particles is about 0.1 wt%, 0.5 wt%, 1.0 wt%, 1.5 wt%, 1.75 10 wt%, 2.0 wt%, 2.15 wt%, 2.25 wt%, 2.5 wt%, 2.75 wt%, 3.0 wt%, 3.5 wt%, 4.0 wt%, 4.5 wt%, 5.0 wt%, 6.0 wt%, 7.0 wt%, 8.0 wt%, 9.0 wt%, or 10.0 wt%. In some examples, the amount is about 2.0 wt% or about 2.15 wt%.
In some examples, containing the coated plant material particles in the above amounts may improve the blend/powder characteristics of the content, such as the flowability. In some examples, the above amounts may more readily result in a visually appealing product with a speckled visual effect which can alter the user experience.

Shape

The shape of the coated plant material particles is not particularly limited. In some examples, the particles are approximately spherical, or spheroidal. In some examples, the particles are spherical or substantially spherical. In some examples, the particles are spherical, ellipsoidal, or oval. In some examples, the particles are not perfectly spherical. In some examples, the particles are not spherical. In some examples, the particles have a regular shape, such as cuboid, spherical, prism, or other polyhedron such as star shaped. In some examples, the particles have an irregular shape. In some examples, the particles have non-uniform shapes.
In some examples, the particles are manufactured as approximate spheres. In some examples, the particles are spheronised after being manufactured.
In some examples, the content comprises spherical or substantially spherical particles, and a fibrous material consisting of substantially non-spherical fibres or substantially non-spherical fibrous particles.
In some examples, particles having an approximately spherical shape (spheroidal shape) may provide advantageous blend/powder characteristics to the content. In some examples, approximately spherical particles may provide visual appeal and contribute to a speckled visual effect.

Method of Manufacture

Coated plant material particles may be formed by any suitable method known to those skilled in the art. For example, the plant material may freeze dried, air dried, spray dried or roller dried. The plant material may cut, ground, rubbed, chopped, an/or grated to achieve a suitable size. The plant material may be coloured using one or more dyes or pigments. To coat the plant material, any suitable method known to those skilled in the art may be used. For example, coating can be achieved by melting the hydrophobic coating and mixing in the plant materials. For example, coating can be achieved using a fluidised bed. For example, the coating can be sprayed onto the plant materials.
Filler is included in the content of smokeless articles according to the present disclosure. The filler may comprise at least one fibrous material. In some examples the content may comprise a combination of two or more types of fibrous material. Filler materials may be provided to increase the volume of the smokeless article (e.g. by increasing the volume contained within the pouch and to strengthen the contents). In the present proposals, the nature of the filler materials may also impact the release profile of the nicotinic compound and the mouthfeel of the product. Filler materials may also be referred to as "fillers" or "bulking agents". For the avoidance of doubt, the filler, e.g. fibrous material, is intended to be distinct from the plant material particles in the content as referred to herein and may be distinguishable by the lack of hydrophobic coating.
A fibrous material is composed essentially or completely of fibres. Such fibrous material may be insoluble in water, so that the fibrous material may comprise or consist of water-insoluble fibres. In some examples, water-insoluble fibres have a water solubility of less than 0.1 gram per 100 mL of water measured at 25 °C and at a pH of 7.0. Such fibrous material may be food-grade. Such fibrous material may be biocompatible.
The fibrous material may be naturally-occurring (e.g., a plant fibre), bio-derived, or synthetic. In some examples, the fibrous material is naturally-occurring or bio-derived, for example bio-derived. For example, a naturally-occurring fibrous material may be made of collagen, actin, fibrin, starch (e.g., corn starch), cellulose (e.g. powdered cellulose), alginate, or a polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), for example cellulose. For example, a bio-derived fibrous powder may be obtained by processing or modifying a natural product. For example, a bio-derived fibrous powder may be made of microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), poly(lactic acid) (PLA), poly(glycolic acid) (PGA), poly(ε-caprolactone), or polybutylene succinate (PBS), for example MCC. The fibrous material may consist of a combination of two or more fibrous materials.
In some examples, the fibrous material is cellulosic. Cellulosic fibres are fibres made of cellulose (e.g. powdered cellulose) or derived from cellulose (e.g. to form MCC).
In some examples, the fibrous material is colourless (e.g. it does not reflect light in the visible spectrum). In some examples, the fibrous material is white. In some examples, the fibrous material has been bleached. In some examples, the fibrous material has not been coloured by a colourant. In some examples, the fibrous material is a different colour to the coated plant material.
In some examples, the fibrous material comprises or consists of fibres. In some examples, the fibrous material is not particulate. In some examples, the fibrous material comprises or consists of substantially non-spherical fibrous particles or fibres, a fibrous particle being a solid particle made from one or more fibres. In some examples, the fibrous material is powdered. In some examples, the fibrous material comprises or consists of elongate fibres or fibrous particles. In some examples, the fibrous material comprises or consists of fibrous particles, the fibrous particles being distinct from the particles referred to herein.
The fibrous material may comprise or consist of a plant fibre. A plant fibre is a naturally occurring fibrous material obtained from a plant. It may be chemically unmodified. The plant fibre may be a combination of fibres from different plants. In some examples, the plant fibre is essentially or completely water-insoluble. In some examples, the plant fibre comprises elongate fibres. The plant fibre may be included in the content of the pouch to add strength and structure to the content. Additionally, the plant fibre may function as a natural source of substances such as, for example, biologically/pharmacologically active compounds, flavourants, pH stabilisers etc. The plant fibre may, additionally or alternatively, modify the mouthfeel and/or release profile of the nicotinic compound.
For example, the plant fibre may comprise one or more selected form the group consisting of maize fibres, oat fibres, tomato fibres, barley fibres, rye fibres, sugar beet fibres, buck wheat fibres, wheat fibres, pea fibres, potato fibres, apple fibres, cocoa fibres, bamboo fibres, citrus fibres, pine fibres, eucalyptus fibres, and any combination thereof. In some examples, the plant fibre is selected from bamboo fibres, wheat fibres, or a combination thereof.
Additionally or alternatively, the plant fibre may comprise one or more selected from the group consisting of Amaranthus dubius, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (Bearberry), Argemone mexicana, Amica, Artemisia vulgaris, Yellow Tees, Galea zacatechichi, Canavalia maritima (Baybean), Cecropia mexicana (Guamura), Cestrum noctumum, Cynoglossum virginianum (wild comfrey), Cytisus scoparius, Damiana, Entada rheedii, Eschscholzia califomica (California Poppy), Fittonia albivenis, Hippobroma longiflora, Humulus japonica (Japanese Hops), Humulus lupulus (Hops), Lactuca virosa (Lettuce Opium), Laggera alata, Leonotis leonurus, Leonurus cardiaca (Motherwort), Leonurus sibiricus (Honeyweed), Lobelia cardinalis, Lobelia inflata (Indian-tobacco), Lobelia siphilitica, Nepeta cataria (Catnip), Nicotiana species (Tobacco), Nymphaea alba (White Lily), Nymphaea caerulea (Blue Lily), Opium poppy, Passiflora incamata (Passionflower), Pedicularis densiflora (Indian Warrior), Pedicularis groenlandica (Elephant's Head), Salvia divinorum, Salvia dorrii (Tobacco Sage), Salvia species (Sage), Scutellaria galericulata, Scutellaria lateriflora, Scutellaria nana, Scutellaria species (Skullcap), Sida acuta (Wireweed), Sida rhombifolia, Silene capensis, Syzygium aromaticum (Clove), Tagetes lucida (Mexican Tarragon), Tarchonanthus camphoratus, Tumera diffusa (Damiana), Verbascum (Mullein), Zamia latifolia (Maconha Brava)
In some examples, the plant fibre comprises or consists of bamboo fibre. In some examples, the plant fibre comprises or consists of wheat fibre. In some examples, the fibrous material comprises MCC and one or both of bamboo fibre and wheat fibre.
As used herein, the term "bamboo fibre" refers to natural fibres from plants of the Bambusoideae subfamily of the Poaceae family of grasses. The fibres may originate from any part of the plant, but in some examples, they originate from the stem of the plant. The fibres may be obtained from commercial sources or may be prepared by grinding or milling plant material until fibres of the required particle size are obtained.
As used herein, the term "wheat fibre" may refer to natural fibres from plants of the Triticum genus of the Poaceae family of grasses. For example, common wheat, T. aestivum. The fibres may originate from any part of the plant, but, in some examples, they originate from the stem of the plant. The fibres may be obtained from commercial sources such as JELUCEL^® WF fibres sold by Jelu-werk or VITACEL^® WF fibres sold by JRS Pharma. In some examples, the fibres may be prepared by grinding or milling plant material until fibres of the required particle size are obtained.
In some examples, the fibrous material consists of one or more non-tobacco plant fibres. In some examples, the fibrous material comprises a tobacco fibre and one or more other plant fibres.
In some examples, the smokeless article comprises less than 5 wt% tobacco, based on the total weight of the content. In some examples, the smokeless article comprises less than 1 wt% tobacco, based on the total weight of the content. In some examples, the content comprises tobacco in an amount of about 0.1 wt%, about 0.2 wt%, about 0.3 wt%, about 0.4 wt%, or about 0.5 wt%. In some examples, the smokeless article is free or substantially free of tobacco. The presence of tobacco may affect the considerations relating to shelf-life and nicotine absorption.
In some examples, the fibrous material is a nicotine-dosed fibre. As used herein, the term "nicotine-dosed fibre" refers to a composition comprising a fibre and a nicotinic compound. The nicotinic compound may be added to or mixed with the fibre prior to incorporation into the smokeless article. In some examples, the fibres are loaded into a suitable dryer, sprayed with a solution of nicotinic compound and dried to form nicotine-dosed fibres. The dryer may be a fluidised bed dryer. The solution may be a solution of nicotinic compound in water or glycerin. In some examples, the solution of nicotinic compound may comprise from 10 to 50 wt% nicotinic compound based on the total solution weight, for example from 10 to 40 wt% or from 10 to 30 wt%.
As used herein, the term "particle size" when referring to fibres indicates the average size of the longest dimension of the fibres, where the average is taken as the median (d50) in a distribution of the longest dimensions of a sample. For example, a particle size of 50 µm indicates that in the population of fibres, the median (d50) fibre length is 50 µm. Fibres of a desired particle size are available from commercial suppliers such as Jelu-werk. The particle size distribution can be determined using laser diffraction methods (such as described in ISO 13320:2020), by light/electron microscopy static image analysis (such as described in ISO 13322-1 :2014), or by sieving methods as described herein.
In some examples, the fibrous material has a monomodal particle size distribution.
The fibres of the fibrous material may have a particle size of 10 to 500 µm, for example 10 to 450 µm, 10 to 400 µm, 10 to 350 µm, 10 to 300 µm, 10 to 250 µm, 10 to 200 µm, 10 to 150 µm, 20 to 150 µm, 30 to 150 µm, 30 to 125 µm, 30 to 100 µm, 30 to 90 µm, 30 to 80 µm, 30 to 75 µm, 30 to 70 µm, 30 to 60 µm, 30 to 50 µm, 30 to 40 µm, 32 to 100 µm, 40 to 150 µm, 40 to 125 µm, 40 to 100 µm, 40 to 90 µm, 40 to 75 µm, 40 to 60 µm, 40 to 50 µm, 10 to 100 µm, 10 to 50 µm, 15 to 50 µm, 10 to 45 µm, 15 to 45 µm, 20 to 50 µm, 20 to 45 µm, 20 to 40 µm, or 25 to 35 µm. In some examples, the fibres have a particle size of about 30 µm. In some examples, the fibres have a particle size of about 40 µm. In some examples, the fibres have a particle size of about 50 µm.
In some examples, the fibres of the fibrous material have a particle size of 15 to 500 µm, for example, 20 to 500 µm, 50 to 500 µm, 50 to 400 µm, 50 to 350 µm, 100 to 350 µm, 150 to 350 µm, 200 to 350 µm, 200 to 300 µm, 225 to 300 µm, 225 to 275 µm, 240 µm to 260 µm, 245 µm to 255 µm, 150 to 250 µm, 160 to 240 µm, 170 to 230 µm, 180 to 220 µm, 190 to 210 µm, 195 to 205 µm, 100 to 500 µm, 150 to 500 µm, 200 to 500 µm, 250 to 500 µm, 250 to 450 µm, 250 to 400 µm, 250 to 350 µm, 260 to 340 µm, 270 to 330 µm, 280 to 320 µm, 290 to 310 µm, or 295 to 305 µm. In some examples, the fibres have a particle size of about 300 µm. In some examples, the fibres have a particle size of about 250 µm. In some examples, the fibres have a particle size of about 200 µm.
In some examples, the fibres of the fibrous material have a particle size of 25 µm or more, 30 µm or more, 32 µm or more, 35 µm or more, 40 µm or more, 45 µm or more, 50 µm or more, 60 µm or more, 70 µm or more, 75 µm or more, 80 µm or more, 90 µm or more, 100 µm or more, 150 µm or more, 175 µm or more, 200 µm or more, 225 µm or more, 250 µm or more, 275 µm or more, 300 µm or more, 325 µm or more, 350 µm or more, 400 µm or more, 500 µm or more, or 600 µm or more. In some examples, the fibres have a particle size of 600 µm or less, 500 µm or less, 450 µm or less, 400 µm or less, 375 µm or less, 350 µm or less, 325 um or less, 300 µm or less, 275 µm or less, 250 µm or less, 225 µm or less, 200 µm or less, 175 µm or less, 150 µm or less, 125 µm or less, 100 µm or less, 90 µm or less, 80 µm or less, 75 µm or less, 70 µm or less, 60 µm or less, 55 µm or less, 50 µm or less, 45 µm or less, 40 µm or less, or 35 µm or less.
In some examples, the fibres of the fibrous material have a particle size of 30 to 300 µm.
In some examples, the fibrous material is contained in an amount by weight, based on the total weight of the content, of between 20 and 80 wt%. In some examples, the amount of the fibrous material is between 20 and 75 wt%, between 25 and 75 wt%, between 25 and 70 wt%, between 30 and 70 wt%, between 30 and 60 wt%, between 30 and 50 wt%, between 25 and 45 wt%, between 30 and 45 wt%, between 35 and 50 wt%, between 35 and 45 wt%, between 30 and 40 wt%, between 40 and 60 wt%, between 40 and 50 wt%, or between 50 and 60 wt%.
In some examples, the fibrous material is contained in an amount by weight, based on the total weight of the content, of 20 wt% or more, 25 wt% or more, 30 wt% or more, 35 wt% or more, 40 wt% or more, 45 wt% or more, 50 wt% or more, 55 wt% or more, 60 wt% or more, 65 wt% or more, 70 wt% or more, or 75 wt% or more. In some examples, the fibrous material is contained in an amount by weight, based on the total weight of the content, of 80 wt% or less, 75 wt% or less, 70 wt% or less, 65 wt% or less, 60 wt% or less, 55 wt% or less, 50 wt% or less, 45 wt% or less, 40 wt% or less, 35 wt% or less, 30 wt% or less, or 25 wt% or less.
In some examples, the fibres of the fibrous material have a particle size of about 100 µm, 150 µm, 175 µm, 200 µm, 225 µm, 250 µm, 275 µm, 300 µm, 325 µm, 350 µm, 375 µm, or 400 µm. In some examples, the fibres have a particle size of about 200 µm. In some examples, the fibres have a particle size of about 250 µm. In some examples, the fibres have a particle size of about 300 µm.
In some examples, the particle size of the fibrous material is greater than the particle size of the particles. In some examples, the particle size of the fibrous material is less than the particle size of the particles. In some examples, the particle size of the fibrous material is similar to (e.g. within 10% of, or within 5% of) the particle size of the particles.
The content of the pouch may comprise additional fillers. Suitable additional fillers include calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, corn starch, grains, lactose, polysaccharides (e.g. maltodextrin), polyols, sugars (e.g. dextrose, mannitol, xylitol, sorbitol) and combinations thereof. In some cases, the additional filler content is 5 to 10 wt% of the content e.g. around 6 to 9 wt%.
pH stabilisers or adjusters (pH modifiers) may be provided to adjust the user experience and/or modify the bioavailability of a pharmacologically active compound. For instance, under acidic conditions, nicotine is protonated and does not readily cross mucous membranes. Examples of suitable pH stabilisers include ammonia, ammonium carbonate, sodium carbonate and calcium carbonate. These components may have a buffering action, which helps to maintain the pH at the desired level. In some examples, the overall pH of the smokeless article is pH 7 to pH 9, such as pH 7.25 to pH 8.75 or pH 7.5 to pH 8.5, for example around pH 8.
The pH may be stable for at least 4 months, at least 5 months, at least 6 months, at least 7 months, or at least 8 months. The content (e.g., OND formulation) may have a shelf-life of at least 4 months, at least 5 months, at least 6 months, at least 7 months, or at least 8 months.
The overall pH of a smokeless article may be determined by, for example, (i) placing the smokeless article in 10 mL of distilled water (ii) agitating the mixture for at least 5 minutes and (iii) measuring the pH of the solution with a pH probe.
In some examples, the content comprises a pH modifier (e.g. sodium carbonate) in an amount of from 0 wt% to 1 wt%, for example from 0.01 wt% to 1 wt%, from 0.01 wt% to 0.5 wt%, from 0.01 wt% to 0.2 wt%, from 0.01 wt% to 0.1 wt%, from 0.01 wt% to 0.08 wt%, or from 0.01 wt% to 0.06 wt% based on the total weight of the content.
The pH modifier may have a lower limit of at least 0.01 % by weight of the contents such as at least 0.02 wt%, such as at least 0.03 wt%, such as at least 0.04 wt%, such as at least 0.05 wt%, or such as least 0.06 wt%.
Salts may be provided to maintain the osmolarity of the OND formulation within the smokeless article/pouch. Salts contribute to the overall positive user experience of the smokeless article, such as pleasant mouth feel. Examples of salts which may be used include sodium chloride, potassium chloride, magnesium chloride and calcium chloride.
Flavourants may be provided in solid or liquid form. Suitable flavourants include eucalyptus, menthol, liquorice, peppermint, spearmint, chocolate, fruit flavour (including e.g. citrus, cherry etc.), vanilla, spice (e.g. ginger, cinnamon) and tobacco flavour. The flavourant may be evenly dispersed throughout the contents or may be provided in isolated locations and/or varying concentrations throughout the contents.
In some examples, the flavourant is loaded onto the fibrous material. In some examples, the flavourant is bound to or loaded onto the surface of the fibrous material. In some examples, the flavourant is associated with the fibrous material. In some examples, the flavourant is associated with pores of the fibrous material.
As used herein, the term "flavourant" denotes a compound having a desirable taste, aroma or both.
In some examples, the content comprises one or more flavourants (e.g. peppermint flavour) in a total amount of from above 0 wt% to 10 wt%, for example from 1 wt% to 10 wt%, from 1 wt% to 8 wt%, from 1 wt% to 6 wt%, from 2 w% to 8 wt%, from 2 wt% to 7 wt%, from 3 wt% to 8 wt%, or from 3 wt% to 7 wt% based on the total weight of the content.
Humectants may be provided to control moisture content thereby preventing the smokeless article from drying out during storage and reducing the amount of saliva wetting required before the user experience begins. Suitable humectants include polyhydric alcohols (e.g. propylene glycol (PG), triethylene glycol, 1 ,2-butane diol and glycerol such as vegetable glycerine (VG)) and their esters (e.g. glycerol mono-, di- or tri-acetate). The humectant component may consist of a single humectant compound or may consist of two or more different humectant compounds.
The humectant may have a lower limit of at least 1 % by weight of the contents such as at least 2 wt%, such as at least 5 wt%, such as at least 10 wt%, such as at least 20 wt%, such as at least 30 wt%, or such as least 40 wt%.
The humectant may have an upper limit of at most 70% by weight of the contents, such as at most 65 wt%, such as at most 60 wt%, or such as at most 20 wt%, such as at most 10 wt%, such as at most 5 wt%, such as at most 2 wt%.
In some examples, the amount of humectant is 1 to 70 wt% of the contents, such as 10 to 60 wt% or 50 to 60 wt%.
In some examples, the content has an overall amount of water of between 5 and 60 wt% based on the weight of the contents such as between 40 and 60 wt%, or between 50 and 60 wt%, for example between 52 and 60 wt%.
Smokeless articles having a total moisture content of 10% or less are generally considered to be 'dry'. Smokeless articles having a total moisture content of 40% or more are generally considered to be `wet'.
The humectant in the content (e.g. OND formulation) may comprise or consist of water and one or more polyhydric alcohols, for example water and glycerol. In some examples, the humectant may comprise propylene glycol.
Sweeteners may be provided to modify the user taste perception and, in particular, overcome bitter flavours that result from other substances. Suitable sweeteners include honey, sugar, brown sugar, glucose, fructose, sucrose, aspartame, xylitol, maltitol, saccharin sodium, glycyrrhizin tripotassium liquorice, jujube, sucralose, acesulfame K, stevia, monk fruit, or a mixture thereof. In some cases, the sweetener is selected from aspartame, xylitol, maltitol, saccharin sodium, glycyrrhizin tripotassium liquorice, jujube, sucralose, acesulfame K, stevia, monk fruit, and mixtures thereof.
In some examples, the content comprises a sweetener (e.g. acesulfame K) in an amount of from 0 wt% to 1 wt%, for example from 0.01 wt% to 1 wt%, from 0.01 wt% to 0.5 wt%, from 0.01 wt% to 0.2 wt%, from 0.01 wt% to 0.1 wt%, from 0.05 wt% to 0.2 wt%, or from 0.05 wt% to 0.15 wt% based on the total weight of the content.
The amount of sweetener may have a lower limit of at least 0.01 % by weight of the content such as at least 0.02 wt%, such as at least 0.03 wt%, such as at least 0.04 wt%, such as at least 0.05 wt%, or such as least 0.06 wt%.
Stabilisers are provided to prevent decomposition or degradation over time during storage by, for example, retarding oxidation or unwanted biological activity. Stabilisers may be selected from the group consisting of antioxidants including vitamin E, such as tocopherole, ascorbic acid, sodium pyrosulfite, butylhydroxytoluene, butylated hydroxyanisole, edetic acid and salts thereof; and preservatives including citric acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, malic acid, acetic acid, benzoic acid, sorbic acid and salts thereof.
Binders may be provided. Suitable binders include starches and/or cellulosic binders such as methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, hydroxyethyl cellulose and carboxymethyl cellulose, gums such as xanthan, guar, arabic and/or locust bean gum, organic acids and their salts such as alginic acid (sodium alginate), agar and pectins. In some examples the binder content is 5 to 10 wt% of the contents, e.g. around 6 to 9 wt% or 7 to 8 wt%.
Colourants may be provided to modify the user impression of the smokeless article. These may be added to the content as a whole or the plant material more specifically. In some examples, the colourant added to the content may be different to the colourant used to colour the plant material, or it may be the same. Colourants may include whitening agents. Colourants may be selected from one or more of common colourants such as curcumin (E100), turmeric (E100(ii)), riboflavin (E101), riboflavin-5'-phosphate (E101 (ii)), tartrazine (E102), quinoline yellow (E104), riboflavin-5-sodium phosphate (E106), yellow 2G (E107), sunset yellow FCF (E110), carmine, cochineal (E120), azorubine (E122), amaranth (E123), ponceau 4R (E124), erythrosine (E127), red 2G (E128), allura red AC (E129), patent blue V (E131), indigotine (E132), brilliant blue FCF (E133) chlorophylls (E140), copper complexes of chlorophyll (E141), green S (E142), caramel (E150a-d), brilliant black BN (E151), carbon (E153), brown FK (E154), brown HT (E155), alfa-, beta- and gamma- carotene (E160a), annatto, bixin, norbixin (E160b), bell pepper (Paprika) extract (E160c), lycopene (E160d), beta- apo-8'-carotenal (E160e), ethyl ester of beta-apo-8'-carotenic acid (E160f), flavoxanthin (E161a), lutein (E161b), cryptoxanthin (E161c), rubixanthin (E161d), violaxanthin (E161e), rhodoxanthin (E161f), canthaxanthin (E1619), citranaxanthin (E161h), beetroot extract (E162), anthocyanins (E163), calcium carbonate (E170), titanium dioxide (E171), iron oxides (E172), aluminium (E173), silver (E174), gold (E175), lithol rubine BK (E180), tannins (E181). The amount of colourant may be, separately to any colourant associated with the plant material particles, up to about 3% by weight of the smokeless article, such as about 0.5% to about 2.5% or about 1% to about 2%.
A second aspect of the disclosure is a process of manufacturing the smokeless article for oral delivery comprising a pouch enclosing a content, comprising the steps of:

(a) applying a hydrophobic material coating to a plant material;
(b) mixing the plant material having the hydrophobic coating, a filler, and a nicotinic compound to form the content;
(c) enclosing the content within a pouch

In some examples, in step (b), the nicotinic compound and the filler are mixed prior to the addition of the coated plant material particles. In some examples, the filler is dosed with the nicotinic compound, for example as a nicotinic solution, prior to the addition of the coated plant material particles. In some examples, adding the coated plant material particles after the other components may reduce, minimise or eliminate damage to the coated plant material particles by the mixing/blending process.
In some examples, in step (b), the coated plant material particles and the filler are mixed prior to the addition of the nicotinic compound. In this way, the particles may be more evenly distributed in the filler.
In some examples, the components of the content are mixed using a blender or similar. In some examples, the content resulting from step (b) is isotropic. That is, the components are evenly dispersed (e.g. they may appear to be homogeneously mixed on the macroscopic scale).
In some examples, the process further comprises a step of colouring the plant material by combining the plant material with a colourant, prior to step (a). In some examples, the plant material is mixed with a colourant to enhance the colour of the plant material.
Optionally, the method may include adding further additives to the content. The additives may include, but are not limited to, one or more selected from: additional fillers, pH modifiers, flavourants, humectants, sweeteners, stabilisers, binders, and colourants. Further additives may be added before, during, or after step (b).
In some examples, in step (b), the nicotinic compound, the filler, and the further additives are mixed prior to the addition of the coated plant material particles. This may reduce, minimise or eliminate damage to the coated plant material particles by the mixing/blending process.
A third aspect of the disclosure is the use of a plant material comprising a hydrophobic coating in a smokeless article for oral cosumption, the smokeless articles comprising a pouch enclosing a content, to improve user experience; optionally wherein the smokeless article is according to first aspect.
Improving user experience refers to improvement of user perception and improvement in the blend/powder characteristics.
User perception may be improved by providing visual appeal and/or psychologically imparting or enhancing added perceptions such as "freshness" and/or flavour due to the presence of the coated plant material.
The blend/powder characteristics may also be referred to as the blend characteristics or the powder characteristics. The term "blend/powder characteristics" refers to the physical properties of the blended content, which generally has powder-like properties, at least during the pouch filling process. Blend/powder characteristics may refer to one or more properties selected from: flowability, compressibility, bulk density, cohesion, surface adhesiveness, hygroscopicity, wettability, dispersibility, and caking ability. For example, the blend/powder characteristics may refer to the flowability and/or caking ability of the content. An improved flowability may be a blend which flows more easily. An improved caking ability may be a blend which cakes/agglomerates less readily.
A fourth aspect of the disclosure is a kit comprising a plurality of smokeless articles according to the first aspect and a container.
The skilled person will appreciate that except where mutually exclusive, a feature or parameter described in relation to any one of the above aspects may be applied to any other aspect. Furthermore, except where mutually exclusive, any feature or parameter described herein may be applied to any aspect and/or combined with any other feature or parameter described herein.
The preceding summary is provided for purposes of summarizing some examples to provide a basic understanding of aspects of the subject matter described herein. Accordingly, the above-described features should not be construed to narrow the scope or spirit of the subject matter described herein in any way. Moreover, the above and/or proceeding examples may be combined in any suitable combination to provide further examples, except where such a combination is clearly impermissible or expressly avoided. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter described herein will become apparent from the following text and the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Aspects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description of examples in reference to the appended drawings in which like numerals denote like elements.

Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a smokeless article.
Figure 2 shows a cross-sectional view of a second embodiment of a smokeless article.
Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a third embodiment of a smokeless article.
Figure 4A0 shows a photograph of a comparative example content, taken immediately after preparation of the content.
Figure 4B0 shows a photograph of an example content as disclosed herein, taken immediately after preparation of the content.
Figure 4A1 shows a photograph of the comparative example content, taken 4 weeks post preparation of the content.
Figure 4B1 shows a photograph of the example content as disclosed herein, taken 4 weeks post preparation of the content.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Before describing examples implementing the present disclosure, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is not limited by specific construction details or process steps set forth in the following description and accompanying drawings. Rather, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of the present disclosure that the systems, apparatuses and/or methods described herein could be embodied differently and/or be practiced or carried out in various alternative ways.
Unless otherwise defined herein, scientific and technical terms used in connection with the presently disclosed inventive concept(s) shall have the meanings that are commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art and known techniques and procedures may be performed according to conventional methods well known in the art and as described in various general and more specific references that may be cited and discussed in the present specification.
Any patents, published patent applications, and non-patent publications mentioned in the specification are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
All examples implementing the present disclosure can be made and executed without undue experimentation in light of the present disclosure. While particular examples have been described, it will be apparent to those of skill in the art that variations may be applied to the systems, apparatus, and/or methods and in the steps or in the sequence of steps of the methods described herein without departing from the concept, spirit, and scope of the inventive concept(s). All such similar substitutions and modifications apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to be within the spirit, scope, and concept of the inventive concept(s) as defined by the appended claims.
The use of the term "a" or "an" in the claims and/or the specification may mean "one," as well as "one or more," "at least one," and "one or more than one." As such, the terms "a," "an," and "the," as well as all singular terms, include plural referents unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Likewise, plural terms shall include the singular unless otherwise required by context.
The use of the term "or" in the present disclosure (including the claims) is used to mean an inclusive "and/or" unless explicitly indicated to refer to alternatives only or unless the alternatives are mutually exclusive. For example, a condition "A or B" is satisfied by any of the following: A is true (or present) and B is false (or not present), A is false (or not present) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (or present).
As used in this specification and claim(s), the words "comprising, "having," "including," or "containing" (and any forms thereof, such as "comprise" and "comprises," "have" and "has," "includes" and "include," or "contains" and "contain," respectively) are inclusive or open-ended and do not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps.
Unless otherwise explicitly stated as incompatible, or the physics or otherwise of the embodiments, examples, or claims prevent such a combination, the features of examples disclosed herein, and of the claims, may be integrated together in any suitable arrangement, especially ones where there is a beneficial effect in doing so. This is not limited to only any specified benefit, and instead may arise from an "ex post facto" benefit. This is to say that the combination of features is not limited by the described forms, particularly the form (e.g. numbering) of example(s), embodiment(s), or dependency of claim(s). Moreover, this also applies to the phrase "in one embodiment," "according to an embodiment," and the like, which are merely a stylistic form of wording and are not to be construed as limiting the following features to a separate embodiment to all other instances of the same or similar wording. This is to say, a reference to 'an,' 'one,' or 'some' embodiment(s) may be a reference to any one or more, and/or all embodiments, or combination(s) thereof, disclosed. Also, similarly, the reference to "the" embodiment may not be limited to the immediately preceding embodiment. Further, all references to one or more embodiments or examples are to be construed as non-limiting to the claims.
As shown in Figure 1 there is provided a first embodiment of a smokeless article 10 having a pouch 12 containing contents 14. The pouch 12 is substantially rectangular. The pouch 12 is formed from a single sheet of material and is substantially filled by the contents 14. The pouch 12 has a seal 16 along each of the three edges where the inner face of the single sheet meets itself to seal the contents 14 in the pouch 12.
Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of a smokeless article 10' having a pouch 12 containing contents 14. The pouch 12 is substantially circular. The pouch 12 is formed from two opposing sheets of material and is substantially filled by the contents 14. The pouch has a circumferential seal 16 along the edges where the two opposing sheets of material meet to seal the contents 14 in the pouch 12.
Figure 3 shows a third embodiment of a smokeless article 10" that, like the first embodiment, has a pouch 12 made from a single sheet of material. However, one of the three seals 16' is formed by an overlap of the inner face and the outer face of the single sheet meet to seal the contents 14 in the pouch 12. The remaining two seals at opposing ends of the pouch 12 are formed where the inner face of the single sheet meets itself.
Figure 4A0 shows a photograph of a comparative example content 14', taken immediately after preparation of the content 14'. The content 14' comprises a plurality of coloured plant material particles 18' distributed throughout the content. The coloured plant material particles 18' are not coated in a hydrophobic coating. The coloured particles 18' impart a speckled visual effect to the content 14'. The coloured particles 18' have a contrasting colour to rest of the content 14'. Figure 4A1 shows a photograph of the same comparative example content 14', taken 4 weeks post preparation of the content 14'. As seen in Figure 4A1, the contrast between the colour of the particles 18' and the content is significantly reduced compared to 4 weeks prior (Figure 4A0) due to bleeding of coloured components from the plant material particles 18' into the rest of the content 14'.
Figure 4B shows a photograph of an example content 14 according to the present disclosure, taken immediately after preparation of the content 14. The content 14 comprises a plurality of coloured plant material particles 18 distributed throughout the content. The coloured plant material particles 18 are coated in a hydrophobic coating. The coloured particles 18 impart a speckled visual effect to the content 14. The coloured particles 18 have a contrasting colour to rest of the content 14. Figure 4B1 shows a photograph of the same example content 14 according to the present disclosure, taken 4 weeks post preparation of the content 14. As seen in Figure 4B1, the coloured particles 18 still impart a speckled visual effect to the content 14, and the contrast between the colour of the particles 18 and the content remains significant compared to 4 weeks prior (Figure 4B0), indicating significantly reduced bleeding of coloured components from the plant material particles 18 into the rest of the content 14 and therefore an improvement in stability of visual appearance.

EXAMPLES

Preparation of formulations

The example formulations were prepared according to the following method.

1. All the materials were dispensed into appropriately sized beakers using a 2 d.p. balance to determine the weights.
2. Fibrous material was dry mixed in a mixer.
3. Cold water was added to the mixer for wet mixing.
4. A nicotine solution was added to the mixer, and mixed.
5. Plant materials were coated in the hydrophobic coating and were added to the mixer, and mixed.
6. pH modifiers, sweetener and flavourant were added to the mixer, and mixed.
7. The sample was removed from the mixer.

Example formulations

The example formulations contained the following components.

Formulation 1

Material	%w/w
Nicotine	0.50 - 2.0
Solvent(s)	35 - 70
Fibrous material(s)	25 - 45
Coated plant material particles	1 - 5
Sweetener	0.01 - 0.5
pH modifier(s)	0.02 - 1.0
Flavour mix	3 - 8

The coated plant material particles consisted of freeze-dried cranberries, coated in a hydrophobic coating.

Comparative Formulation 1

Material	%w/w
Nicotine	0.50 - 2.0
Solvent(s)	35 - 70
Fibrous material(s)	25 - 45
Plant material particles	1 - 5
Sweetener	0.01 - 0.5
pH modifier(s)	0.02 - 1.0
Flavour mix	3 - 8

The plant material particles consisted of freeze-dried cranberries. The plant material particles in the comparative formulation are not coated.

Results

Inventive formulation 1 and comparative formulation 1 only differ in that the plant material particles are coated in the inventive formulation. The inventive formulation is photographed in Figures 4B0 (taken immediately after preparation) and 4B1 (taken 4 weeks post preparation). The comparative formulation is photographed in Figures 4A0 (taken immediately after preparation) and 4A1 (taken 4 weeks post preparation).
As seen in photographs 4A0 and 4B0, the plant material is mixed into the rest of the content, and has a contrasting colour to the rest of the content, creating a speckled appearance. When the same samples were photographed 4 weeks later, Figure 4B1 shows that the inventive composition has retained the contrast in colours between the coated plant material and the rest of the content. Contrastingly, in the comparative example (Figure 4B1), the colour of the plant material appears to have bled out into the rest of the content. As such, the contrast between the colour of the plant material particles and the rest of the content is greatly reduced in the comparative example, attenuating the desirable speckled appearance.
As such, the mixture provided by formulation 1 retained the contrast in colour between the coated plant material particles and the rest of the content as the hydrophobic coating created a suitable barrier between them. In other words, without wishing to be bound by theory, the hydrophobic coating reduced the amount of bleeding of the soluble components of the plant material particles into the rest of the content by isolating the plant material particles.
The mixture provided by Formulation 1 possessed excellent blend/powder characteristics, in particular flowability and lack of caking during pouch filling.
A smokeless article comprising a pouch filled with Formulation 1 provided an excellent user experience.
In a test where a first set of users were given a smokeless article comprising a pouch filled with Formulation 1, 4 weeks post preparation of the formulation and a second set of users were given Comparative Formulation 1, 4 weeks post preparation of the formulation, the first set of users rated the user experience more positively. In particular, the first set of users experienced increased flavour perception and freshness.

Claims

A smokeless article for oral delivery comprising a pouch enclosing a content, the content comprising a filler, a nicotinic compound, and a plant material, wherein the plant material has a hydrophobic coating.
The smokeless article according to claim 1, wherein the plant material has a different colour to the filler and nicotinic compound.
The smokeless article according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plant material comprises one or more coloured dyes or pigments.
The smokeless article according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plant material comprises one or more of aloe vera, star anis, chokeberry, basil, nettle, blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, strawberry leaves, dill, rosemary, green tea, black tea, white tea, mate, hibiscus, ginger, chamomile, mint leaves, liquorice root, lavender leaves or blossoms, orange peel, cranberry, yuzu, peach, lemon peel, lemongrass, coconut, eucalyptus leaves, fennel, pomegranate, grapefruit, ashwagandha, cacao peel, Opuntia leaves, cola nuts, cornflower, lime peel, tangerine peel, melon tree leaves, peach, and/or bearberry leaves.
The smokeless article according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the content comprises the plant material in an amount of between 0.1-10 wt%, based on the total weight of the content.
The smokeless article according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the content comprises the hydrophobic coating in an amount of between 0.1-5 wt%, based on the total weight of the plant material and the hydrophobic coating.
The smokeless article according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the plant material is fully enclosed in the hydrophobic coating.
The smokeless article according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the hydrophobic coating has a melting point of 40 °C or greater.
The smokeless article according to any one of the preceding claims wherein, the hydrophobic coating comprises a polymeric material and/or a wax.
The smokeless article according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the hydrophobic coating comprises one or more waxes selected from the following list: Montan wax, cottonseed wax, animal wax, microcrystalline wax, mineral wax, palm wax, rapeseed wax, soy wax, carnauba wax, candela wax, candelilla wax, beeswax, paraffin waxes, rice bran wax, shellac, zein coating, and combinations thereof.
The smokeless article according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the plant material has an average particle size (D50) of between 100 and 2000 µm.
The smokeless article according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the filler comprises fibrous materials, optionally wherein the fibrous material consists of water-insoluble fibres, further optionally wherein the water-insoluble fibres comprise wheat fibre and/or bamboo fibres.
A method of manufacturing a smokeless article for oral delivery comprising a pouch enclosing a content, the method comprising the steps:
(a) applying a hydrophobic material coating to a plant material ;

(b) mixing the plant material having the hydrophobic coating, a filler, and a nicotinic compound to form the content;

(c) enclosing the content within a pouch.
Use of a plant material comprising a hydrophobic coating in a smokeless article for oral cosumption, the smokeless articles comprising a pouch enclosing a content, to improve user experience, optionally wherein the smokeless article is a smokeless article according to any one of claims 1 to 12 or produced by the method according to claim 13.
A kit comprising a plurality of smokeless articles according to any one of claims 1 to 12 or produced by the method according to claim 13, and a container.