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Sub-Group

TTPA - Tobacco and Tobacco Products Analysis - 2008

Objectives

  1. To propose and maintain CORESTA Recommended Methods (CRMs) and related documents for the analysis of tobacco and unburned tobacco products.
  2. To organise interlaboratory testing related to Objective 1.
  3. To organise the manufacture of and maintain traditional and modern oral nicotine reference products.

The CORESTA Tobacco and Tobacco Product Analysis Sub-Group (TTPA) was originally established in November 2008 as the Smokeless Tobacco Sub-Group (STS). The initial objectives of the STS were:

  1. To create a report on product definition and definitions of terms to support harmonisation of nomenclature.
  2. To perform collaborative studies on main chemical parameters of smokeless products.
  3. To develop CORESTA Recommended methods as agreed by the Scientific Commission.
  4. To develop a technical report on sample handling and sampling procedures.
  5. To define and set standards for the manufacture of reference products and storage requirements for long term stability.

The STS made significant and continued progress towards all its goals. The STS conducted numerous international collaborative studies, published six CORESTA Recommended Methods (CRMs) and two CORESTA Guides, produced four smokeless tobacco reference products and created the Smokeless Tobacco Glossary.

In January 2017, the name of the STS was updated to "Tobacco and Tobacco Product Analytes Sub-Group (TTPA)" to better reflect that the work of the Sub-Group had expanded beyond smokeless tobacco to include a wider range of matrices and tobacco products including tobacco leaf, cigarette filler, and cigar filler. The Sub-Groups objectives were also updated to reflect this change.

In 2020, the Sub-Group’s name was updated again to the "Tobacco and Tobacco Product Analysis Sub-Group" to better cover its mandate following the merger of the Smoke Analytes (SMA) and Routine Analytical Chemistry (RAC) Sub-Groups into the Smoke Analysis Sub-Group (SA).

Earlier STS studies focused on developing and updating existing CRMs for smokeless tobacco. As the STS transitioned into the TTPA, the focus of the Sub-Group moved toward other matrices including tobacco, cigarette filler and cigar filler. Later, the TTPA responded to the evolving tobacco product marketplace and started developing CRMs for newer tobacco products such as nicotine pouches.  As a result, the Sub-Group's third objective "To organise the manufacture of and maintain smokeless tobacco reference products" was replaced by "To organise the manufacture of and maintain traditional and modern oral nicotine reference products" in 2024.

CORESTA Recommended Methods

One of the ongoing objectives of the TTPA is to propose and maintain CRMs and related documents for the analysis of tobacco and unburned tobacco products. Like other CORESTA Sub-Groups, the TTPA operates in a completely transparent and rigorous manor. All CRMs are supported by large international studies and have defined repeatability (r) and reproducibility (R) values. Furthermore, each of these collaborative studies is documented in a CORESTA Technical Report and published on the CORESTA website. The Technical Reports include the full data sets, so researchers are free to re-evaluate the raw data. In recent years, the prioritization of CRM development has been driven by tobacco product regulation or proposed regulation and the evolving marketplace. Manufacturers and contract laboratories from numerous European countries, North America, and Asia participated in the development of the CRMs. To date, the Sub-Group has developed or updated 19 CRMs, which can be found in the column to the right or under "Recommended Methods" on this website.

Collaborative and Proficiency Studies

As mentioned above, all CRMs developed by the TTPA are supported by robust international collaborative studies and include defined repeatability and reproducibility values. Additionally, the TPPA has conducted several proficiency studies. Proficiency studies are typically conducted to identify a method to further develop into a CRM. As of 2023, the SG has published 36 collaborative and proficiency studies. The Technical Reports for these studies are listed in the column to the right and are available under "Reports" (filter for TTPA) on this website. These studies incorporated a range of physical and chemical analyses including pH, water activity, moisture (oven volatiles), water, humectants, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, carbonyls, select trace metals, and PAHs.

CORESTA Reference Products

Another objective of the TTPA is to manufacture and maintain smokeless tobacco reference products. Reference products are often used to monitor analytical processes when conducting routine chemical analyses and they may also be used to compare data generated at different laboratories. In 2009, the STS produced the four CORESTA Reference Products (CRPs) listed below:

  • CRP1: Swedish style snus pouch
  • CRP2: American-style loose moist snuff
  • CRP3: American-style loose dry snuff powder
  • CRP4: American-style loose-leaf chewing tobacco

Four different CRPs were produced in an effort to have products that covered a wide range of product characteristics.

Due to high demand and a dwindling supply, a second batch of CRPs was manufactured in 2016. The 2016 CRPs were produced in the same style as the 2009 CRPs except the loose-leaf chewing tobacco was produced in a chopped format to improve within pouch homogeneity. Since the 2009 and 2016 CRPs were produced with different tobaccos, and in most cases produced by a different manufacturer, the physical and chemical properties do differ between the two production lots.

The CRPs are maintained by the North Carolina State University (NCSU) in Raleigh, NC, USA, at -20 °C. The CRPs can be ordered via the NCSU website https://strp.wordpress.ncsu.edu. More detailed information on the CRPs can be found on the CORESTA website under "Reference Products" in the Information section.

As mentioned above, the Sub-Group is also responsible for monitoring the stability of the CRPs. To fulfil this objective, the TTPA (and previously the STS) conducts routine collaborative studies in which specific product attributes of the CRPs are monitored. These studies include the determination of pH, moisture (oven volatiles), nicotine, and the four TSNAs (NNN, NNK, NAT, NAB). The Sub-Group originally conducted these studies on a yearly basis, but then transitioned to every other year once it was understood the CRPs are stable when stored at the recommend temperature of -20 °C. The TTPA continues to monitor the stability of the 2016 CRPs on a biennial basis.

The final stability study on the 2009 CRPs demonstrated that the CRPs are stable for at least 10 years when stored at the recommend storage temperature of -20 °C. As with the CRMs and supporting Technical Reports, the stability reports are available on the CORESTA website under "Reports".

The TTPA is currently working on coordinating the production of two CORESTA nicotine pouch reference products that will be distributed by the University of Kentucky Center for Tobacco Reference Products (CTRP). These new reference products should be available by the end of 2023.

CORESTA Guides

A laboratory can only produce high quality results if the integrity of samples is maintained. In this respect, the Sub-Group produced CORESTA Guide No. 11 (Technical Guideline for Sample Handling of Smokeless Tobacco and Smokeless Tobacco Products) to describe the appropriate storage and preparation of smokeless tobacco for chemical analysis. This Guide was updated in 2020 following a Collaborative Study carried out to add the scientific data to support the storage condition claims.

As part of the objective to develop and produce the CRPs, CORESTA Guide No. 15 (CORESTA Reference Products Production and Evaluation Requirements) details the production of CRPs. The current version (July 2020) covers the CRPs produced in 2016 and can be used as a guideline for the future remanufacture of the CRPs.

Both Guides are published in the column to the right and under "Guides" on this website.

Benefits

The TTPA SG (formerly STS) has provided an invaluable forum for the development of robust standardised analytical methods (CRMs) for the analysis of tobacco, cigarette filler cigar filler, and oral tobacco products including smokeless tobacco and nicotine pouches. Furthermore, the Sub-Group has enabled numerous industry and contract laboratories to participate in large collaborative studies. Participation in such studies is necessary for laboratories achieving and maintaining their ISO 17025 accreditation. Additionally, these studies provide a means for laboratories to assess their performance as compared to their peers and make improvements when their results differ.

 

Updated November 2023