Conditioning process for tobacco and/or snuff compositions

1. A process for producing a conditioned smokeless tobacco and/or snuff comprising:

preconditioning tobacco and/or snuff by contacting the tobacco and/or snuff with an amount of steam alone effective for raising the temperature of the tobacco and/or snuff to about 215° to about 230° F., wherein the steam is freely vented from the tobacco to obtain a preconditioned tobacco and/or snuff;

heating the preconditioned tobacco and/or snuff at a moisture content of about 5 to about 40 weight percent in a mechanical extruder, the mechanical extruder having a temperature and conveyance rate effective for providing a pressure of at least about 130 psi; and

venting the heated tobacco and/or snuff after attaining a pressure of at least about 130 psi to obtain a conditioned smokeless tobacco and/or snuff.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the preconditioning is effected by contacting the tobacco and/or snuff with steam having a temperature of about 212° to about 240° F.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical extruder has a barrel temperature of about 120 to about 300° F.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the mechanical extruder has a conveyance rate of about 100 to about 260 lbs/hour.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the venting step after attaining a pressure of at least about 130 psi is carried out at atmospheric pressure.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the venting step after attaining a pressure of at least about 130 psi is carried out under a vacuum.

7. The process of claim 6 , wherein the vacuum is about 5 to about 10 inches of Hg.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the heating step comprises heating the preconditioned tobacco at a pH of about 7.0 to about 9.0.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the conditioned smokeless tobacco and/or snuff has a moisture content of about 10 to about 25 weight percent.

10. A process for producing a conditioned smokeless tobacco and/or snuff comprising:

(a) preconditioning tobacco and/or snuff by contacting the tobacco and/or snuff with an amount of steam alone effective for raising the temperature of the tobacco to about 215° F. to about 230° F., wherein the steam is freely vented from the tobacco to obtain a preconditioned tobacco and/or snuff;

(b) conveying the preconditioned tobacco and/or snuff at a moisture content of about 5 to about 40 weight percent to a mechanical extruder having a first extruder zone, the first extruder zone having a barrel temperature of about 120° F. to about 130° F.;

(c) conveying the tobacco and/or snuff of step (b) from the first extruder zone to a second extruder zone having a barrel temperature of about 270° F. to about 280° F., the conveying from the first extruder zone to the second extruder zone effective for providing a pressure of about 130 to about 160 psi;

(d) conveying the tobacco and/or snuff of step (c) from the second extruder zone to a third extruder zone, the third extruder zone having a barrel temperature of about 270° F. to about 280° F., the conveying from the second extruder zone to the third extruder zone effective for providing a pressure of about 160 to about 230 psi;

(e) conveying the tobacco and/or snuff of step (d) from the third extruder zone to a fourth extruder zone having a barrel temperature of about 280° F. to about 300° F., the conveying from the third extruder zone to the fourth extruder zone effective for providing a pressure of about 200 to about 260 psi;

(f) venting the tobacco and/or snuff of one or more of steps (c), (d), or (e) after attaining the pressure of the respective step (e), (d), or (e);

(g) conveying the tobacco and/or snuff of step (f) from the fourth extruder zone to an extruder/die, the extruder/die having a barrel temperature of about 340° F. to about 350° F.; and

(h) extruding the tobacco and/or snuff of step (g) to provide a conditioned smokeless tobacco and/or snuff having a moisture content of about 10 to about 25 weight percent.

11. The process of claim 10 , wherein the mechanical extruder has a conveyance rate of about 100 to about 260 lbs/hour.

12. The process of claim 10 , wherein the tobacco of step (c) is vented after attaining a pressure of about 130 to about 160 psi.

13. The process of claim 10 , wherein the tobacco of step (d) is vented after attaining a pressure of about 160 to about 230 psi.

14. The process of claim 10 , wherein the tobacco of step (e) is vented after attaining a pressure of about 200 to about 260 psi.

15. The process of claim 10 , wherein the tobacco of step (c) is vented after attaining a pressure of about 130 to about 160 psi, and wherein the tobacco of step (d) is vented after attaining a pressure of about 160 to about 230 psi.

16. The process of claim 10 , wherein venting from an extruder zone is carried out at atmospheric pressure.

17. The process of claim 10 , wherein venting from an extruder zone is carried out under a vacuum.

18. The process of claim 17 , wherein the vacuum is about 5 to about 10 inches of Hg.

19. The process of claim 10 , wherein step (b) comprises conveying the preconditioned tobacco at a pH of about 7.0 to about 9.0.

20. The process of claim 10 , wherein the conditioned smokeless tobacco and/or snuff has a moisture content of about 13.5 to about 20 weight percent.

21. A process for producing a steam conditioned smokeless tobacco and/or snuff comprising:

contacting tobacco and/or snuff in an open vented chamber with an amount of steam alone effective for raising the temperature of the tobacco and/or snuff to about 215° to about 230° F. to provide a steam conditioned smokeless tobacco and/or snuff, wherein the open vented chamber is freely vented to the atmosphere.

22. The process of claim 21 , wherein the tobacco and/or snuff prior to contacting with the amount of steam is at a pH of about 7.0 to about 9.0.

23. The process of claim 21 , wherein the resulting steam conditioned tobacco and/or snuff has a moisture content of about 10 to about 30 weight percent.

24. The process of claim 21 , wherein the resulting steam conditioned tobacco and/or snuff has a moisture content of about 5 to about 40 weight percent.

25. A process for producing a steam conditioned smokeless tobacco and/or snuff comprising:

contacting tobacco and/or snuff in an open vented chamber with an amount of steam alone effective for raising the temperature of the tobacco and/or snuff to about 215° to about 230° F. to provide a steam conditioned smokeless tobacco and/or snuff, wherein the open vented chamber is freely vented to the atmosphere, wherein the resulting steam conditioned tobacco and/or snuff has a moisture content of about 15 to about 50 weight percent.

26. A process for producing a steam conditioned smokeless tobacco and/or snuff comprising:

contacting tobacco and/or snuff in an open vented chamber with an amount of steam alone effective for raising the temperature of the tobacco and/or snuff to about 215° to about 230° F. to provide a steam conditioned smokeless tobacco and/or snuff, wherein the duration of said contacting step is 10 to 60 minutes.

27. The process of claim 26 , wherein the duration of said contacting step is 30 to 60 minutes.

28. The process of claim 21 further comprising the step of cooling the steam conditioned smokeless tobacco and/or snuff to a temperature of about 80 degrees to about 100 degrees Fahrenheit.