Prune Juice Concentrate

Additives are substances intentionally added to tobacco products by tobacco industry in order to render toxic tobacco products palatable and acceptable to consumers.
Prunes are ripe plums that are dried. Concentrated prune juice is extracted from softened prunes. As a fruit extract, prune juice concentrate is very rich in sugars and is therefore naturally sweet.

General uses

Prune juice concentrate has many uses in the food industry, e.g. as a sweetener, colour and flavour enhancer, a binding agent in cereal bars, and also as a ‘humectant’ to help keep cakes and cookies moist.

Reported tobacco industry uses

Prune juice concentrate (along with other extracts from either the plum or prune) is reportedly used by tobacco manufacturers to add flavour to the tobacco at different stages of manufacturing. Prune juice concentrate can make up to about 0.5 % of the total weight of the tobacco used in one cigarette.

Harmful health effects

Prune juice concentrate, a fruit extract, is safe for use in food products. However, this does not suggest it is safe when inhaled from smoking cigarettes. Studies have yet to identify
the compounds produced from burning prune juice concentrate. However, the high sugar content of the concentrate suggests it is likely to behave in a similar way to sugar additives. This could lead to the formation of chemicals that are well known to cause cancer in humans such as polycyclic
aromatic hydrocarbons, and those thought to possibly cause cancer such as acetaldehyde. These compounds have been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (a leading expert cancer organisation). Other toxic compounds that irritate the airways are also formed (e.g.
acrolein or 2-furfural).

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 to also consume more cigarettes to get their nicotine fix. Furthermore, the use of prune juice concentrate 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 compounds such as the substance harman, which can also enhance addictiveness due to
its mood-enhancing effect on the brain.

Prune juice concentrate is used to smoothen and mildly sweeten the smoke. It imparts a sweet taste making the smoke more palatable. The high sugar content of the concentrate provides caramel flavours when burnt that enhance the flavour and attractiveness of smoking. By adding prune juice
concentrate to improve the taste of the tobacco, the bitter taste of the smoke is sufficiently masked. Also, the sweet caramel flavours appeals to young people, which can make it easier for them to start smoking.

Prune juice concentrate may also be indirectly harmful by making smoking more pleasurable. This encourages the smoking habit, which could ultimately cause smokers to be exposed to higher levels of the toxic substances in cigarette smoke.

Overall, by adding more desirable flavours such as prune juice concentrate to cigarettes, tobacco manufacturers make it easier for smokers to become addicted.

Prune Juice Concentrate

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

Additives in tobacco products

Additives are substances intentionally added to tobacco products by tobacco industry in order to render toxic tobacco products palatable and acceptable to consumers.

The tobacco industry is made up of many companies that make and sell different types of tobacco products. Whether it is smoked, chewed, sniffed or inhaled second-hand, the use
of these tobacco products can and does cause debilitating and life-threatening diseases, as well as premature death.

The cigarette is the single most commonly used tobacco product
in the European Union (EU). Most people are aware that smoking cigarettes is harmful, as thousands of compounds are produced and released in the smoke, some of which
(hundreds) are toxic.

But what people may not be aware of is that most tobacco manufacturers add ingredients other
than tobacco to cigarettes that affect the chemical make-up of the smoke.

These ingredients are known as tobacco additives
and are reportedly used, for example, to:

■■give a cigarette a particular flavour;
■■control the way the cigarette burns;
■■keep the tobacco moist thus preventing it from drying out

To some people, the reasons for adding these substances to a consumer product may appear perfectly reasonable. They may argue that this is not necessarily a bad thing as it makes
for a better consumer experience. However, helping people to better tolerate and enjoy a product like cigarettes, which is well known to be toxic and carcinogenic, is an entirely different
issue and a matter of great concern.

Additives in tobacco products PDF