RESEARCH CONFERvNCE
L -,-
HELD AT-.qffT-ON HEEAD ISL'ND S C.
21 Tth - 10th-S11:PTEHBE=
Present: S.:J. Green (Chairman)
Sir Charles Ellis
J.G. Esterle
L.G. Felton
W.B. Fordyce
R.B. Griffith
L.C. Laporte
L. Rowell
R.A. Sanford
F. Seehofer
H. Sottorf
R.S. Wade
The Conference was concerned with three major
themes;
a) Smoking and Health
b) Product Development
c) Process Research
There were intensive discussions but -it was
agreed to
re=ort only conclusions and participants
undertook, where
necessary, to provide any background discussion
for -their
respective management colleagues.
1. It is clear that a number of features of.
cigarottes can 7,,Ddify the biological activity
of smoke -condensate. These include the
incorporation of PCL and CRSI the form of the
smoking vehicle, the type of tobacco, the
presence of additives and the volume of puff
taken in smoking the cigarette. These factors
will beccme increasingly important when future
o
cigarettes are designed.
2'. The biological results are also indicating the
importance of both initiators and promoters in
smoke and this lead should be followed up
vigorously in the biological research.
3- Studies in instant condensate are showing a
biological activity towards mouse-skin of the
same order as that of stale condensate,
suggesting that the biological activity is not
time-dependent. The clear possibility of
producing cigarettes with reduced mouse-skin
biological activity therefore becomes of greater
importance and a research solution to the whole
problem is more likely.
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4. There -was general agreement that a cigarette
with
such roduced mouse-skin biological activity should
be prcduced; other biological features, e.g.
irrita'Zion., ciliastasis, must also be satisfied
simui-t-anoously.
Research staff should lay down guide lines against
which alternative products can be chosen in
everyday
operations. Although there may, on occasions, be
conflict between saleability and minimal
biological
activity, two types of product should be clearly
distinguished, viz:
a) A' Health-image (health-reassurance)
ei,,arette.
b) ,1 Health-orientated (minimal biological
--activity) cigarette, to be kept on the
market for those consumers choosing i~.
6. The biclogical results on condensate from PCL
emphasise that this material should no longer be
rega.--_Ecd as waste utilization but can be a
conscious move towards product improvement. PCL
should be considered as a 'grade' and no longer
used 'across the board'. A number of new
develODments in the field of PCL and of ventilated
cigarollteF, by which mean's the puff volume may
be
mod-ificd, should be submitted to Southampton for
short-term b'-ological assay at Frankfurt.
7. It is races-sary to understand the mechanisms
invol-red in short term tests in order to avoid
being misled by results from apparently
disconnected
tests. Empirical tests should therefore be
ex-,=ined at the cellular level.
8. It was recognisod that there was a growing
interest
in the area of non-cancer diseases, e.g.
emphysema,
bronchitis and the cardiovascular diseases.
Interest
should be maintained in making non-inhalable
cigarettes
but less-irritating smoke may be an advantage.in
its
own right, even though it may be achi eved by
lowering
the ratio of nicotine to tar. The R6-acid filter.
cioarette in Germany could be considered in this
1 i gh t.
9. Attention should be directed to carbon monoxide
and
a far-reaching study of the factors affecting its*
for-mation-and possible elimination by filters or
by
modifying combustion conditions should be made by
Southampton. To this end, and in the light of the
attitude to carbon monoxide taken by the German
Heallth Authorities, it would be advantageous to
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examin2 as many samples of reconstituted tobaccos
as possible. A survey, prepared in Germany, will
be ava.Llable. 'It was agreed that more attention
should be paid to the effects on combustion
conditions of changes in cigarotte paper and that
in view of the likely importance of additives to
tobaccc in controlling combustion, competitors'
producis should be monitored for this feature.
10. In viev of its pre-eminent importance, the
pharmacology of nicotine should continue to be
kept under review and attention paid to the
possible discovcry of other substances possessing
the desircd features of brain stimulation and
stress-rclief without direct effects on the
circulatory system. The possibility that
nicotine and other substances together may exert
effects larger than either separately (synergism)
should be studied and if necessary the attention
of'14ar'_.-eting Departments should be drawn to
these
possib-flities.
It was, however, agreed that nicotine or tobacco
extrac-s should not be put in a part of the
cigare-:te, e.g. the filter, where they could be
readil-;- ingested.
In a dfscussion of devices for the controlled
administration of' nicotine, the current position
of the ARILL project was reviewed, and it was
reaues7ecl that Southampton should supply some
ARfEL devices to the overseas laboratories for
examination.
11. It was agreed that filter developments in the
future are likely to be in the direction of
multiple, and probably triple, filters. Some
risk would be involved in the introduction of
a now zype of filter unless this were health
orientated. It was agreed that the detailed
invest-L.gation of solid particles, which might
be inhaled, should be carried out at Southampton.
As an argent, short term project, Southampton
should develop a technique for measuring the
solid zarticles in smoke.
12. During the discussion on Product Development,
intorcst was confirmed in the elucidation, in
detail, of how smokers smoke (puff profile,
frequency, volume, etc.) with the possibility
that application of the findings could be used
to identify with greater certainty particular
markct segments in order to guide pre-market
survey smoking evaluations.
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Canada, U.S.A. and Germany would welcome
Initiation.into the WOODROSE technique of
smoke assessment and wil.1 consider sending
someone to the U.K. for this purpose.
Recognising that the reasons why people smoke
are partly pharmacological and partly psycho-
logical, the Conference agrcce, that there is a
need for expert advice on the psychological
aspects, and the effects on these of shape,
colour, etc. of the smoking vehicle and the
package should be syst3matically explored.
It was suggested that there were still
weaknesses in the methods used to select samples
from R. & D. for market research testing.
Attention should bc paid at the laboratory
rese.arch stage to the samples strongly preferred
by a minority of the test panel rather than to
those which were weakly preferred by a majority.
Experience has shown that smokers are prepared to
adjust their tolerance of factors such as pressure
drop and consequently filter-tip cigarettes of
abnormally high pressure drop should nevertheless
be submitted for panel testing.
13. Following discussion of the specific examples,
it was agreed that no synthetic smoking material
can be considered for product development unless
the biolcgical activity of its condensate is less
than that -,f modified tobaccos or PCL. Lespite
the disappointing resultr; rcported by Hontreal
and SouthamptGn on tho Bell and Laing modified
cigarettes - with an axial channel through a
tobacco column of increased packing density
it was agreed worthwhile to attempt to acquire
the patent for a reasonable sun, because it
reprcsonts'an alternative approach to cigarette
design, in which B-A.T. already has some patent
protection.
14. The adoption of an objective to make
cigarettes
which yield condensates with lowor biological
activity (but which must sell on their ordinary
qualities) reduces the degrees of freedom in
terms of taste, acceptability, economics, etc.
in cigarette design. Because of its importance
in smokcr preference, thero is a need to expand
the systematic examination of the effects of
casings and flavours on the flavour and aroma
of cigarette smoke.
It was agreed it would be unreasonable to hold
up the introduction of a new development of a
significant nature until it had been proved
conclusively to be of lower biological activity.
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Provided that available short-term tests had been
passed, and the development was judged to be in
the right direction, the meeting agreed that the
developmont could well be introduced subject to
the
immediate initiation of long term testing
procedures.
15. Arising out of the German position with
respect
to coumarin, which will be banned from tobacco
manufacture from the beginning of 10,69, the
need was recognisod for a well-thought-out
technique for testing flavour additives to
tobacco.
The fact that B-A.T. is now a member of BIBRA
may possibly enable the validity of tests based
on insecure expor-imont and reasoning to be
challenged.
16. The nicoting heard an account of the
proceedings
of the recent CORESTA conference in Stockholm,
on the subject of pesticides, and decided that
the problem of pezticide residues on tobacco is
best tackled by Industry action, where possible
in co-operation with Departments of Agriculture.
The TLC scheme for assessing the effects of
pesticides on the biological activity of smoke
condonsato will be sent to all participants,
17. During the discussion on Proccss Research, the
meeting dccidnJ that, although it may affect
smoke tastc, til.,e method of drying tobacco is
unlikely tu affect the biological activity of
smoke. HoJovor, thore is a need to chock the
ciliastatic activity of the smoke from tobacco
dried in various ways, and this examination
could be extended to other short-term tests.
It'wa s recogniscd that the Group should be
.prepared to explore radically now ways of
processing tobacco such as forcod ageing,
threshing uncurcd tobacco, etc., but no
specific proposals were made.
18. It was agreed that the development aspects of
cigar manufacture should be left to Canada and
Australia.
19. An overall conclusion of the Conference was
that
Dr. Green should write an article for tho New
Scientist showing the emorgencc of smoke chemistry
and presenting the now scientific image of the
tobacco industry.
20. The various changes in organisation were
outlined
and their effects in tornis of communication links
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were discussed. It was concluded that there is
still a need to strengthen these links in addition
to personal visits, but it must be recognised that
there can be occasions when these must be
restricted to certain channels because of special
legal agreements entered into by individual
companies.
Foll6win.a the close of the Conference, a second
meeting took place, under the chairmanship of Mr.
T
I.I.C. LaDorte. Dr. S.J. Green and Dr. D.G. Felton
did not
participate.
The suggestion that the Conference might ba
enlarged by the introduction of people to
ropresent leaf,
manufacturing and mark-.-A research WLIS
countered. by the
arguments th,!' t too large a membership would
inhibit the
frank and frce discussion7 which had been a
feature of
the Hilton Ecad Conference, and that tho suggested
.
enlargement of the mocting was properly an
in-company
activity.
It was the coaccnsus of opinion of the meeting
that
in the present rapidly changing situation another
Group
Research Conference should be field in the next
six months
and an invitation to hold it in Germany was
extended by
Herr Sattorf.
Tho meeting discussed the degree of success with
which tho Conference had attained its objectives.
Dr.
Green was thanked for the way he had discharged
the
difficult role of Chairman in guiding the
discussions and
Dr. Felton for his presentation of tile biolo gi
cal 'work.
SJG/FA
14.1o.68.
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