SECRET
Research Meeting
Sheraton Park Tower Hotel, London
21-22 March 1985
Present: Mr R J Pritchard (part-time)
Mr A L Heard
Dr R Binns
Mr H Borowski
Dr P Dunn
Mr E Kohnhorst
Mr R G Nicholls
Mr E Rittershaus
Dr C J P de Siqueira
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BATCo document for Province of BritiSh Columbia 9
November 1999


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Background To Changes Planned For GR&DC
Points raised were:
(i) The willingness of CAC Boards to commit the
funds, previously paid to GR&DC, for expanding
their resources.
(ii) A clear need for CAC companies to identify
and protect their new basic research (of Group
benefit) against both short and long term
market crises.
(iii) Concern that whilst research can be quickly
terminated at GR&DC, it will take a long time
for build-up to occur in the CAC laboratories.
Three plans are foreseen in the latter:
(a) Project planning and approval
(b) Recruitment and training
(c) Productive outcome. At least
five years will be needed before
new teams can be expected to produce
significant achievements based on
basic research.
(iv) Concern that media, staff and competitors
will perceive, wrongly, that BAT is running
dowr, R&D.
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Discussions of 21 March 1985:
(v) It is essential to convey to senior management
the important potential contribution technical
advances can make to the future of the business.
A willingness to make, if necessary, sizeable
investments in top rate external scientific
groups if vital.
BIOLOGICAL
There was no disagreement with change in direction
of the biological
work, ie retaining only a small "in vitro" testing
facility in
Southampton. (It was noted, however, that R J
Reynolds are
advertising to build a biological team of 30-50
scientists in the
USA.)
Although there will be no in-house development of
completely
new tests, a senior expert will be retained in the
residual
team to monitor such developments from external
sources. They
will be evaluated and, where appropriate, brought
in-house for
screening purposes.
The main biological Group project, RIO, will
continue with the
remaining resources. This project has three
phases:
1. Brand survey.
Ii. Influences of cigarette design.
111. Alterations to brands in the light of I. and
II. .
Project RIO will be completed in Southampton to
Stage II.
Tuereafter territories will consider the
implications in brand
development.
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The concept of a small team of professionals to
select and
monitor external contracts in the biological area
was agreed.
In view of the proposed changes in Southampton,
there may be a
possibility of a small increase in biological work
in both
Canada and Germany.
MICRO-BIOLOGY
The residual in-house biological capability in
Southampton will
provide the necessary expertise and appropriate
laboratory
facilities to carry out, when necessary,
micro-biological screening,
for example for factory hygiene.
SMOKE RESEARCH
The proposal to retain the smoke chemistry and
combustion research
work under Dr Baker was supported. The work will
major on two
aspects:
1. Study of smoke formation.
2. Smoke control.
it was stressed that this should now become
increasingly responsive
to market needs. It was noted, however, that there
have already
been examples in Germany of the use of GR&DC
computer model systems
to expedite product development projects.
B&W has interest in aerosol production from simple
synthetic
systems to guide product development in the
evaluation of
new additives and other material variants.
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November 1999


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SMOKER BEHAVIOUR
There was a consensus that the techniques
established to date
should be used in future principally as an aid to
product
development. Canada has recently successfully used
smoking
behavioural techniques to link preference with
smoking style.
This may lead to further developments in technique
being made
in Canada. An area of innovation which is clearly
recognised
is the need for the development of non-intrusive
(surreptitious)
monitoring techniques. Where projects required
such techniques,
the monitoring equipment necessary would be
developed by the
company concerned. There is no need for a
centralised activity
to develop new methods.
SMOKE RETENTION
It was agreed that work on smoke retention through
manipulating
growth of aerosol particles in humid atmospheres
should be
terminated. Although the concept of producing low
retention
cigarettes is attractive, the practical
difficulties of
manipulating the aerosol and of marketing such
products makes
it unlikely that there will be any significant
success as a
result of this work.
THE IMPORTANCE OF NICOTINE
A greater understanding of the pharmacology,
physiology and
pharmacokinetics of nicotine is considered of
paramount importance
for the future development of smoking products.
The group
expressed the view that whilst Southampton's small
effort on
pharmacology should be phased out, the Group
should be replaced
by a much nore significant series of external
contracts using
world recognised experts. (Furthermore, it is
believed that this
study should be viewed in the full context of our
total aims in
this area which are "to deliver an acute
pharmacological/physiologicalco
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sensation" in the smoking experience.)
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November 1999


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B&W will assess whether they are able to "manage"
this external
source of contracts, modelling the style and
approach on that
which has been used successfully on the BARCLAY
programme. if
this fails, Southampton should provide leadership
for the
initial stages of this project.
The full sequence of projects foreseen in the
improved
understanding of nicotine activity is:
1. The combustion studies by the Southampton
Chemistry
Group on the chemistry of aerosols, generation and
transfer of nicotine and flavour compounds.
2. External contracts in pharmacology/physiology.
3. Validation of the findings from 1. on human
subjects using external contract facilities.
4. In the short term each country will, through
its Product Development activities, seek by
empirical means to optimise nicotine transfer
from the cigarette.
PSYCHOLOGY
There was no support for the retention of Charter
Research
activities in GR&DC. It is generally accepted that
neither the
techniques developed nor the information produced
from the
surveys of UK subjects were transferable on a
Group-wide basis
for use in modelling different markets and
environments. In
any event, most countries feel that this need is
covered through
their existing Market Research function.
Importance is laid on the continuing need of
development of
subjective test methods, eg improvements on OMEGA,
and this is
planned to be achieved through the retention of R
P Ferris in
the product testing group of the Marketing Support
Team in the co
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Dr Ferris will be invited to visit B&W to discuss
projects of
mutual interest. Amatil would also welcome a
4-week visit by
Dr Ferris, similar to that which he has just made
to Imperial,
Canada.
FLAVOURS
All agreed that there is no likely benefit in
pursuing the
extraction of flavour chemicals from tobacco to be
used as
enhancers. The technology is complex, benefits
difficult to
demonstrate and in most cases, this route is
economically
unattractive.
Hamburg have been particularly successful in
investigating
flavour house formulations and negotiating
variants on these
to their own specification.
Topics in the current Hamburg flavour research
programme include
pectins, lignins, sulphur compounds, processed
cocoa shell and
other cell wall materials. These already embrace
the principal
elements of the Southampton flavour research
programme and thus
termination of this work was agreed.
Hamburg will consider how they might extend this
area of expertise
for Group benefit.
Subject to the ability to acquire appropriate
equipment, eg NMR,
and provided they have continuing access to the
Southampton
tobacco processing cylinder (appropriately
instrumented), Souza
Cruz would offer a good base to develop tobacco
treatment as a
means of flavour improvement. They are also
developing a
flavour manufacture unit and should be able to
supply, throughout
the Group, coumarin and various fruit extracts.
Providing Brazil has access to the above mentioned
equipment, they
may also take up the Southampton work on abienol
oxidation since
this has a relevance to amerelinho tobacco and
could extend the CO
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BATCo document for Province of BritiSh Columbia 9
November 1999


B&W are placing a contract to examine B&W and
Philip Morris
products for evidence of amino acid/sugar reaction
products.
Benefits anticipated are in optimisation of
tobacco treatment
and in gaining insight into competitor product
formulations.
B&W will circulate the proposed protocol to all
delegates for
comment. Results from the completed study will be
available on
a Group-wide basis.
The proposed new organisation in Southampton will
not affect
the service provided for product mapping and
follow-up chemical
examination for brands as used in Project SHIP
etc.
BIOTECHNOLOGY
Hamburg clearly constitutes the correct base for
developing all
tobacco-related cell culture work. Considerable
progress is
being made on bio-encapsulation and this is seen
as offering
some further building blocks in product design.
The Southampton
work on cell cultures and microbial transformation
will be
reviewed by Hamburg to see whether they should be
incorporated
into their programme. In any event the small
Southampton
practical effort in this area will be terminated.
PROCESS TECHNOLOGY
Southampton will retain Process Technology on
Virginia blends
only. Work on Burley will be progressed by the
"blended"
companies but Souza Cruz will need access to the
Southampton
tobacco cylinder for its programme.
it is anticipated that BATUK&E/BATCo will identify
its specific
needs in Processing.
The work on novel expansion processes which is
showing promise
will continue, although this may be offered to one
of the other 00
companies to scale-up in due course.
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PHYSICS OF TOBACCO
The group re-affirmed the view of the No Is'
meeting that the
objectives of a physics of tobacco programme are
important, ie
the production of low density products with good
firmness, ends
stability, burn rates and, additionally, good
subjective smoke
character is basic to Group needs.
The current Work Programme has progressed to the
stage where a
group-wide survey has been made to discover the
techniques
which have been used to provide short term
solutions to improve
physical qualities of products.
There was uncertainty that the content of the
current Programme
is appropriate and it was agreed that this would
be re-structured
following discussions between the Southampton team
and Hamburg,
and possibly Louisville. The intention to
eliminate the work
entirely was rescinded. However, if continued, it
will be carried
out by a suitably restructured team.
NOVEL CIGARETTE TECHNOLOGY
The Southampton effort will be considerably
reduced to reflect
the direct needs of BATUK&E/BATCo. This being the
case, there
was a recognised need to up-grade the amount of
such work
carried out in other centres. Germany have plans
(examples
cover filters, extruded tobacco) and USA also plan
to cover
such innovations as ACTRON variants, structured
cigarettes, new
filter fibres, chemically functional filters.
(Joint ventures
with suppliers of paper and filters are being
established.)
Neither Canada, Brazil nor Australia envisage
significant
activity on radically innovative products.
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BATCo document for Province of British Columbia 9
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INSTRUMENTATION AND ANALYTICAL
The earlier proposal that we have a group in
Southampton
concerned exclusively with instrument development
and automation
has been modified. Although it is recognised that
companies
require monitoring or control instruments for
factory operations,
any new requirements will be provided by local
rather than a
central effort. To ensure availability of new
techniques around
the Group, some mechanism is required to circulate
information
on new developments. This will be done when the
procedure for
Co-ordinating Group activities is established.
The continuing need for Southampton to hold
centrally all
standard routine methods was recognised. It was
also stressed
that a means of circulating new methods and
up-dates is essential.
CENTRAL ADVISORY ROLES
1. Smoking & Health - Technical Issues
Dr R E Thornton, aided by appropriate technical
experts retained in Southampton, will continue
to service this requirement.
2. Additives & Materials Guidance
Southampton will continue to provide these
services
under the Chairmanship of Mr T G Mitchell.
It is recognised that in view of the new
legislation
in the USA and Canada in relation to disclosure of
additives, these companies will in future have to
increase their effort in obtaining clearance of
additives, mainly through external contra ts. it
was noted that GR&DC will retain appropriate
expertise to support this need. co
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3. Technical Information
Under the new structure there is likely to be an
increased use of the INTERBAT system for the
collection of technical information. It was
suggested that the existing system would provide
an ideal means for co-ordination of the new style
Group Research Programme.
The need to recognise the special restrictions on
dealing with information flowing into the USA was
stressed. There is no problem in relation to
information out-flow from the USA.
THE GROUP RESEARCH PROGRAMME
Each of the countries will produce a research
programme for its
own use and this will be supplied to the
Co-ordinator who will
construct from them a Group Research Programme.
Delegates brought with them copies of current Work
Programmes
and existing contract information.
The issue of exchange of information on product
development needs
further consideration. This group recognised the
need for
exchange of information for innovative products
but recognised
that brand development is a highly proprietary and
confidential
issue. In that area, marketing policy dictates
commercial plans.
TOBACCO LEAF BIOTECHNOLOGY
1. It is proposed that this subject be introduced
into the Group C:D
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Programne as there is a need to co-ordiaate the
B&W projects at c0
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DNA Plant Technology, the German's past experience
and the
developing technology in Brazil through BioPlanta.
Mr Pritchard expressed the view that a means of
control of any
tobacco innovation emanating must be ensured if
the Group Is to
achieve unique benefit.
MEETINGS
1. Following the current meeting, several actions
were agreed according
to the following timetable:
To end August ALH to visit delegates individually.
Discussions on responses to the
current meeting and initial planning
of Group programme. (USA early June,
Brazil early August, Canada August.)
September (1st week) In London, informal meeting
of
delegates as a group for over-view
of progress.
November (w/c 11th) Formal Group Research
conference, Brazil
to consider:
Ratification of allocation of Group Research
Programme
Forward planning
Technical exchange
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2. Technical meetings of specialist groups will
become increasingly
more important under the new working arrangements.
To demonstrate
this and to maintain momentum of some existing
activities, it
was agreed that two such meetings should be
organised by the
host laboratory:
Plavour specialists Hamburg October
Biological research Montreal 1st or 2nd week June.
CORESTA
Mr Pritchard confirmed that BAT is developing a
strategy for
increasing involvement in CORESTA. Identified
companies within
the BAT Group are being encouraged to actively
participate in
rhis and similar bodies.
A L Heard
25 March 1985
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BATCo document for Province of British Columbia 9
November 1999