Meltable smokeless tobacco composition

1. A meltable smokeless tobacco composition configured for insertion into the mouth of a user, the tobacco composition comprising a tobacco material, a sugar alcohol present in an amount of at least about 40 dry weight percent, and a lipid having a melting point of about 29° C. to about 49° C.,

wherein the tobacco material, the sugar alcohol, and the lipid are in the form of a mixture, and

wherein the lipid in the mixture is present in an amount of greater than about 30 dry weight percent.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the lipid has a melting point of about 38° C. to about 41° C.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the lipid is an animal or plant derived fat, wax, or oil.

4. The smokeless tobacco composition of claim 1 , wherein the lipid is a plant-derived fat comprising a plurality of saturated or unsaturated fatty acid chains having a carbon length of about 14 to about 20 carbon atoms.

5. The smokeless tobacco composition of claim 1 , wherein the lipid comprises a blend of palm kernel oil and palm oil.

6. The smokeless tobacco composition of claim 1 , further comprising an additive selected from the group consisting of flavorants, binders, fillers, disintegration aids, humectants, and mixtures thereof.

7. The smokeless tobacco composition of claim 1 , further comprising an artificial sweetener.

8. The composition of claim 7 , wherein the artificial sweetener is sucralose.

9. The smokeless tobacco composition of claim 1 , further comprising a salt.

10. The smokeless tobacco composition of claim 1 , comprising:

at least about 25 dry weight percent of a tobacco material in particulate form, based on the total weight of the composition;

at least about 30 dry weight percent of lipid;

at least about 0.1 dry weight percent of at least one sweetener;

at least about 40 dry weight percent of a sugar alcohol; and

at least about 0.5 dry weight percent of at least one flavorant.

11. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the lipid has a melting point of about 36° C. to about 45° C.

12. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising an artificial sweetener, a flavorant, and a salt.

13. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the sugar alcohol is isomalt.

14. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the tobacco material is in particulate form.

15. The composition of claim 14 , wherein the tobacco material comprises parts or pieces that have an average particle size of less than about 50 microns.

16. The smokeless tobacco composition of claim 1 , comprising:

about 25 to about 45 dry weight percent of a tobacco material;

at least about 30 dry weight percent of lipid;

about 0 to about 1 dry weight percent of at least one sweetener;

at least about 40 dry weight percent of a sugar alcohol; and

up to about 10 dry weight percent of at least one flavorant, based on the total weight of the composition.

17. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the lipid has a melting point of about 38° C. to about 41° C.

18. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the lipid is selected from the group consisting of palm oil, palm kernel oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil, and mixtures thereof.

19. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition has a melting point of about 29° C. to about 49° C.

20. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the lipid is present in an amount of less than about 60 dry weight percent.