Chemical Differences and Changes of Chinese Tobacco Flakes in Different Sizes

The Chinese Tobacco Science Journal is a bi-monthly academic technology publication supervised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs of the People's Republic of China. It is sponsored by the Tobacco Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and the Qingzhou Tobacco Research Institute of the China National Tobacco Corporation. It was founded in 1979 and is publicly distributed nationwide. The journal mainly publishes academic papers on China's tobacco scientific research, production technologies, and modern management, as well as forward-looking review articles in the field of tobacco research. It covers topics such as tobacco genetics and breeding, cultivation techniques, processing and modulation, physiological and biochemical aspects, plant protection, review or special topics, and quality chemistry.

On March 2, 2023, a journal published an article titled "Chemical Composition Differences and Changes After Reheating in Different Sizes of Tobacco Leaves from China's Main Tobacco Producing Regions.

Photo Credit: The cover of the March 2023 issue of "China Tobacco Science" featuring the article "Chemical Composition Differences and Changes After Reburning in Different Sizes of Flue-cured Tobacco in China's Main Production Areas".

The summary of this paper is as follows:

Research Team: This study was completed through a collaboration between experts Wang Ge, Chen Kangkang, Wan Mingyu, Liu Wei, Ding Ran, Zhang Xin, Xu Weijie, Xu Qimin, and Yang Kai from the Technology Center of Shanghai Tobacco Group Co., Ltd. and Huahuan International Tobacco Co., Ltd. Additionally, this project received funding support from these two entities as a significant technology project of China National Tobacco Corporation and a technology project of Shanghai Tobacco Group Co., Ltd.

Research Background: Tobacco is one of China's traditional agricultural products, widely cultivated throughout the country. Among them, flue-cured tobacco is an important cash crop and accounts for a certain proportion in all major tobacco-producing areas. In order to study the chemical composition differences of flue-cured tobacco of different size leaves in China's major tobacco-producing areas, this study used a leaf vibration sorting machine to screen and analyze the regular chemical components and differences of flue-cured tobacco samples from five primary planting formula modules.

Research objective: This article focuses on the formula modules of tobacco raw materials composed of five primary planting regions, including southwest, southeast, upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River, Huanghuai, and northern regions, based on China's latest tobacco planting zoning. The study aims to investigate the differences and variations in the conventional chemical composition of different sizes of tobacco slices before and after reprocessing for each formula module. The findings will provide a reference for the fine-tuning of the quality and uniformity of finished tobacco products in each formula module and the personalized use of different sizes of tobacco slices.

Research Results: The research group focused on a recipe module using Henan tobacco leaves and studied the differences in the chemical composition and aroma component content of sliced tobacco of different sizes after cutting. They concluded that the coordination of chemical components in sliced tobacco decreases as the size of the slices decreases. Another group studied Sichuan tobacco leaves and systematically researched the changes in chemical composition and sensory quality of sliced tobacco of different sizes obtained through different wind separation units during the cutting process. They found that the chemical availability of tobacco fragments is significantly lower than that of large, medium, and small slices, but increases with the number of cutting levels. However, there has not been a systematic comparison of the chemical composition of differently sized tobacco slices before and after re-drying in different tobacco-growing regions across China.

The article also proposed several areas that industry professionals should further explore.

Tobacco raw materials have significant differences in chemical composition and coordination among different regions. The evaluation criteria for tobacco pieces and fragments differ from those for whole leaves, with greater differences observed between the Southeast and Southwest tobacco regions compared to the Huanghuai and northern tobacco regions (except for potassium content and potassium/chlorine ratio index). The changes in chemical composition of tobacco pieces of different sizes before and after retorting also vary. As the size of the pieces decreases, there is a general trend of decreased variation in reducing sugar content and nicotine content before and after retorting, while the variation in nitrogen/alkaloid ratio generally increases. After retorting, the differences in reducing sugar, nicotine, sugar/alkaloid ratio, and nitrogen/alkaloid ratio between fragments and whole, medium and small leaves are further amplified.

Conclusion: There are significant differences in the chemical composition of cigarettes of different sizes. The chemical composition of large and medium-sized cigarettes is basically the same. However, as the size of the cigarette decreases, there is a decreasing trend in nicotine content, total sugar content, and reducing sugar content, with an increasing trend in total nitrogen, non-nicotine nitrogen, and potassium content. The differences in the main evaluation indicators between the fragments and fines in the Southeast and Southwest tobacco regions and the large cigarettes are greater than those in the Huanghuai and Northern tobacco regions. The changes in reducing sugar, nicotine, sugar-nicotine ratio, and nitrogen-nicotine ratio after reprocessing are greater in fragments and fines than in large, medium, and small cigarettes. Therefore, there is greater potential to improve the quality of module grades in the Southeast and Southwest tobacco regions by screening out fragments and fines. Screening out fragments or fines after reprocessing is more conducive to improving the quality of finished cigarettes.

Therefore, this study aims to provide valuable insights into the chemical composition changes of cigarettes of different sizes. By doing so, it can help improve the quality and uniformity of finished cigarette products through precise adjustments to their formulations. Additionally, this research can also facilitate customized usage for different sizes of cigarettes. From a societal perspective, this study provides a new direction and approach for the development of the tobacco industry in China.

References:

Chemical differences and changes in different size cuts of tobacco in China's main tobacco-producing region before and after re-roasting

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