In October 2016 the CORESTA Smokeless Tobacco Sub-Group (STS) (now named Tobacco and Tobacco Products Analytes Sub-Group, TTPA) initiated an interlaboratory collaborative study for the determination of TSNAs, pH, and moisture (oven volatiles or OV) in ground tobacco, cigarette filler, and cigar filler. The intent of this study was to update the scopes of the applicable CORESTA Recommended Methods (CRMs Nos. 69, 72 and 76) to include these additional matrices as the CRMs only included smokeless tobacco products.

The results of the study demonstrate that the CRMs for TSNAs, pH, and moisture are suitable for the analysis of ground tobacco, cigarette filler and cigar filler.  The TTPA SG recommended that the three CRMs be updated to include the additional tobacco matrices.

CRM No. 72 was developed into ISO 21766:2018, Tobacco and tobacco products — Determination of tobacco-specific nitrosamines in tobacco products — Method using LC-MS/MS.