Carob Bean Extract and Gum

Carob Bean Extract and Gum

Additives are substances intentionally added to tobacco
products by tobacco industry in order to render toxic tobacco
products palatable and acceptable to consumers.
Carob, which is also referred to as the carob pod or carob
bean, is the fruit of the evergreen carob tree. Each carob pod
contains seeds that sit in the pod’s pulp. The pulp is rich in
sugars and therefore is naturally sweet and tastes and looks
like chocolate. It can be ground into fine powder or used in
the form of an extract. The seeds also provide a source of
gum.

General uses

Carob bean extract and gum have many uses, especially in the
food and flavouring industry where it is used as a chocolate
or cocoa substitute, or as a thickener and food stabiliser. It is
also used in non-food industries such as the textile, cosmetic,
and pharmaceutical industry.
Reported tobacco industry uses
Carob bean extract and gum are used as a flavouring material
in commercial cigarettes. It imparts a sweet and nutty
taste that enriches the smoke flavour. The extract and gum
is applied to either the filter or the tobacco and makes up to
0.2 % of the total weight of the tobacco used in one cigarette.
Harmful health effects
Carob bean is generally regarded as safe for use in food
and cosmetics. However, this does not suggest it is safe
when inhaled from smoking cigarettes. Almost the entire
carob bean extract and gum that is added to the cigarette
is burnt while smoking. This results in the formation of
several harmful compounds, such as benzene. The sugars
that are present in the extract can produce compounds such
as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and formaldehyde.
These breakdown products of sugars have been classified as
human cancer-causing agents by the International Agency for
Research on Cancer (a leading expert cancer organisation).

The sugars also produce acidic compounds, which make it
harder for the nicotine in the cigarette smoke to reach the
brain. This forces smokers to inhale deeper, and consume
more cigarettes to get their nicotine fix. Furthermore, the use
of carob bean extract and gum may be indirectly harmful
due to the formation of compounds called aldehydes (e.g.
acetaldehyde), which can make cigarettes more addictive
by enhancing the addictive potential of nicotine. Aldehydes
are very reactive and produce other compounds such as the
substance harman, which can also make cigarettes more
addictive due to its mood-enhancing effect on the brain.

The addition of carob bean extract and gum to cigarettes
help mask the naturally harsh and irritating nature of tobacco
smoke by making it more pleasant and milder. In doing so,
this essentially silences the body’s natural cough response,
which would warn that the smoke is dangerous. The flavour
and attractiveness of smoking is also enhanced by the
caramel flavours that are produced when the sugars are
burnt.

Overall, by adding more desirable flavours such as carob
bean extract and gum to cigarettes, tobacco manufacturers
make it easier for smokers to become addicted. This can
ultimately lead to more cigarettes being smoked and thus
greater exposure to the toxic substances in cigarette smoke.

Carbob Bean Extract