In 2009, the CORESTA Smokeless Tobacco Sub-Group oversaw the development of four new CORESTA Smokeless Tobacco Reference Products (CRPs), namely pouched snus (CRP1), moist snuff (CRP2), dry snuff (CRP3) and loose leaf (CRP4). These new CRPs are currently available from the North Carolina State University Tobacco Analytical Services Lab for research purposes.

The objective of this study is to determine how representative, in terms of chemical composition, are CRPs 1 and 2 in comparison to commercially-available snus and moist snuff products.

To facilitate these comparisons, analytical data on CRPs 1 and 2 was compared with equivalent data from a three-year market monitoring program (MMP), conducted between 2008 and 2010, covering both snus and moist snuff products on the Swedish, American, Canadian and Taiwanese markets.

In this presentation, data on benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) and nicotine are presented.

Results expressed on a wet weight (as used) basis indicate that nicotine levels in both CRP1 (0.94%) and CRP2 (1.26%) were comparable to the mean levels measured in commercial products (snus = 0.8% and moist snuff = 1.3%). Similarly, B[a]P levels in CRP1 (0.55 ng/g) and CRP2 (36.5 ng/g) were within the ranges measured in commercial products (mean levels for snus = 0.75 ng/g and moist snuff = 32 ng/g). The TSNA levels in CRP1 was found to be at the higher end of the ranges measured in commercial snus products, whereas the TSNA levels in CRP2 level were in the lower end of the range for NNN, NAT and NNK.

In conclusion, the results showed that, for six specific analytes addressed, both CRP1 and CRP2 were generally representative of commercially available snus and moist snuff products.