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TSRC, Tob. Sci. Res. Conf., 2017, 71, abstr. 081

A product survey of 25 pipe tobaccos purchased from web-based merchants

LAUTERBACH J.H.
Lauterbach & Associates, Macon, GA, USA

In May 2016, the FDA extended their regulatory authority to cover pipe tobaccos and other tobacco products, which were not originally included in the FSPTCA. Pipe smokers are a small percentage of US tobacco users, but they have a wide variety of products to smoke ranging from expensive traditional products to much lower cost products that can be found in many retail locations that sell cigarettes. However, there is little knowledge about blends, casings, flavors and the processing that are unique to pipe tobaccos, particularly the more expensive products that are sometimes in non-cut forms and often have special processing that is atypical for cigarette tobaccos. Consequently, we conducted a product survey of 25 pipe tobaccos that we purchased from web-based merchants. These products included those that were twists and pressed cakes and included two products having deer tongue in the blend. In addition to analytical results from commercial laboratories, we determined cocoa, coumarin, vanillin, ethyl vanillin, licorice, polyphenols, and sugars using a gradient HPLC system consisting of 3 Waters 510 pumps, Waters 680 gradient controller, Rheodyne 7125 injector, Waters 486 TAD, and HP 3396 Series II integrator. Columns used were a Clippeus C18, 10 µm 4.6 x 250 mm and a YMC Triart C18, 120Å, 5 µm 250 x 4.6 mm. Methods used were adapted from those in the literature and/or publicly available. Much useful data for distinguishing among the samples came from application of scan techniques using a MeOH extract of the tobacco and a slow gradient from 93/5/2 H2O/MeOH/HOAc to 10/88/2 H2O/MeOH/HOAc and setting the TAD wavelength at 340 nm, 280 nm, or 254 nm.