Gpoup
MOM
and Development
WIN
To Dr. L.C.F. Blackman.
REF PJN/M.J/77.
FROM P.J. Nicholl.
DATE 16th August, 1979.
Expanded Tobacco
R.M. Gibb's letter 23.7.79.
Product opportunities must arise primarily from
the
more economic use of tobacco and per se mean
increased
efficiency in the production of smoke to specified
deliveries.
Currently, expanded tobacco is only used where
cost benefits
arise and a number of territories in the BAT Group
where
this opportunity exists have been identified and
the
immediate efforts of GR&DC, B&W, BAT (Germany) and
Associates
who are evaluating DIET tobacco are aimed to
exploit this.
All exploitation of expanded tobacco depends on
the
production of acceptable products thus, contrary
to R.M.
Gibb's view, there is no clear cut-off in the
level of expanded
tobacco that may be used.
The use of expanded tobacco "as a new design tool
to
achieve more acceptable low delivery cigarettes"
should,
I believe, be focussed on the development of new
brands.
It infers that expanded tobacco imparts special
attributes,
other than more efficient and economic use of
tobacco, that
are not available from unexpanded tobacco or
smoking materials.
The programme to identify and exploit product
opportunities
arising from the incorporation of expanded tobacco
will
provide data to support or refute this and
determine the
utility of DIET.
The filling capacity of tobacco depends on a
number
of factors - not only bulk density and particle
stiffness
- which are not readily quantifiable and the study
of the
mechanisms of expansion/filling power will be
relevant.
At the present time most is conjecture. Our
information
is that, depending on DIET process conditions,
nicotine,
sugars (as analytically determined) and e.m.c.
reduce.
There is no data to infer that expansion of
tobacco reduces
its ability to withstand degradation.
Interestingly, it
e1 might be inferred, and no more, that sugars
undergo reaction
with amino acids to produce flavour potential
compounds.
C=)
BATCo document for Province of British Columbia 11
November 1999


Ono
200mo
Dr. L.C.F. Blackman. 16th August, 1979.
Referring to B&Wls Competitive Brand Report No.
RD.25
it should be remembered that, apart from the fact
that
the "latest" test data is in some instances over
two years
old and none is more recent that February 1979 -
the PM
DIET plant having being brought on stream in late
January
1979, the incorporation of expanded tobacco cannot
be
considered in isolation since there are
considerable
differences in the levels of stem and RTS used by
the
U.S. companies. Average usages are as follows (%
unweighted).
Puffed Lamina RTS Stem
Lamina
America 21.3 60.2 16.6 1.9
L&M 7.2 72.6 13. t~:-u
Lorillard .2 r414
11.4 68 1~~204*1 Nil
Philip Morris 5.9 68.4 1
Reynolds 13.7 62. 0 Nil.
B&W (VICEROY target July 1978) Nil 72.9 11.0 6D
B&W reported on PM's test marketing of Basic KS at
6 mg tar and Basic 100's at 9 mg. This was sent to
R.M. Gibb in November 1978. The essential data on
these
blends is
Basic KS Basic 100s
Lamina M 73.5 72.6
Puffed lamina (%) 26.5 27.4
Density (mg/cc) 213 207
With the exception of NOW, Reynolds (49.4% puffed
tobacco), Carlton 85 and 100 (35.9% and 31.7%
respectively)
and True, Lorillard (19.4%), the maximum usage
levels
(by analysis not incorporation) are :-
American 11.4%
L&M 7.2
Lorillard 11.7
PM 7.3
Reynolds 15.3
cc Mr. N.E. Willis.
CD
Ch
BATCo document for Province of British Columbia 11
November 1999