FIELD: tobacco industry.
SUBSTANCE: invention relates to methods of reducing the amount of one or more types of tobacco-specific nitrosamines, including 4-(metilnitrozamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), in tobacco material. A method for reducing the amount of at least NNK-bound in a tobacco material includes the steps of (a) providing a tobacco material comprising at least matrix-bound NNK; (b) optionally measuring the level of at least the NNK matrix bound in the tobacco material; (c) heating the tobacco material for at least about 30 seconds to a temperature of greater than about 115 degrees Celsius in the presence of a liquid or vapour to release at least a portion of the matrix-bound NNK from the insoluble tobacco matrix of the tobacco material; (d) optionally measuring the level of at least those associated with the NNK matrix in the tobacco material after step (c); (e) optionally comparing the levels of matrix-bound NNKs obtained in steps (b) and (d); and (f) identifying a tobacco material in which at least the NNK bound to the matrix has been released from the tobacco material.
EFFECT: establishment of the efficient and cost-effective way to reduce the number of tobacco-specific nitrosamines, inter alia, the tobacco-specific nitrosamines, including NNK, which are formed during the processing of tobacco and are associated with a matrix of the form.
13 cl, 5 dwg, 1 tbl, 8 ex
