Quantitative analysis of menthol and identification of other flavoring ingredients in capsule cigarettes marketed in Korea

Is It Time to Ban Flavored Cigarettes in Asia-Pacific Countries? A Scoping Review

Flavored cigarettes encourage youth smoking and deter quitting. No country in Asia-Pacific, a region with some of the world's highest smoking rates, has regulated tobacco flavors. We examined market data, academic literature, and gray literature to describe what is known on flavored cigarettes in the Asia-Pacific region. Of the 12 countries for which market data were available, ten had substantial flavored cigarette market shares ranging from 10% to 97%. With no regulations and growing markets for flavor capsule variants, the tobacco industry's ongoing promotion of flavored cigarettes, which targets primarily youth and women, is expected to drive further increases in smoking prevalence. There are significant research and monitoring gaps on the industry's marketing tactics and use of flavored cigarettes in the region. Given the large market shares, Asia-Pacific countries stand to benefit substantially from a tobacco flavors ban.

Chemicals in Cigarette Flavor Capsules From Guatemala and Mexico

BACKGROUND

The global market share for cigarettes with flavor capsules has grown exponentially over the last decade, particularly in Latin America. When smoking, consumers crush a liquid capsule in the filter that flavors the smoke. Little is known about the chemical constituents of the liquids in capsules or their potential health risks.

METHODS

Based on consumer data and availability in Mexico and Guatemala, 31 flavor capsule brands were purchased (19 and 12, respectively) in 2020. Since some cigarettes included multiple capsules in a stick (up to 2) or pack (up to 4), the final analytic sample included 50 capsules. We conducted qualitative and quantitative analyses using gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS, Agilent Technologies, Inc).

RESULTS

The qualitative analysis detected 296 compounds (range = 9-67 per capsule), and all capsules contained menthol. Among the compounds detected in more than half the sample were limonene, menthone, benzaldehyde, eucalyptol, and triacetin. Traces of nicotine were found in 22% of the capsules. In the quantitative analysis, menthol concentrations were 33 times greater than the next most common compound (limonene). Benzyl alcohol and vanillin were also found in high concentrations. Comparing same-brand varieties across countries showed substantial variability in the concentration of menthol and other compounds.

CONCLUSIONS

Menthol is an omnipresent constituent in capsule cigarettes, perhaps because of its anesthetizing and reinforcing addictive properties. Other compounds found are toxic, potentially carcinogenic, and may enhance addictiveness. Variance in the presence and concentrations of such compounds highlights the importance of product standards to regulate capsule content.

IMPLICATIONS

This study evaluated the chemical content of capsule cigarettes from two Latin American countries that have two of the highest market shares for capsule cigarettes worldwide. Compared to other studies, our assessment included brand varieties from two countries to compare the differences in chemical content by country. Our results yield that menthol is found in all capsules, and that other chemicals found may prolong nicotine exposure and therefore reinforce the addictive properties of cigarettes.

Tobacco industry strategies for flavour capsule cigarettes: analysis of patents and internal industry documents

BACKGROUND

The global market for flavour capsule variants (FCVs), cigarettes with a crushable flavour capsule, has grown exponentially. To inform further regulatory efforts, it is important to understand tobacco industry strategies for FCVs.

METHODS

Analysis of data from 65 patents and 179 internal tobacco industry documents, retrieved via snowball searches in Patsnap and the Truth Tobacco Industry Documents Library, describing tobacco industry developments related to FCVs. We used an inductive coding method to identify themes relating to FCV features or developments.

RESULTS

Tobacco companies were developing FCVs since the 1960s, with little market success until the 2000s following the launch of Camel Crush, a brand which targeted millennials (in their teens or early 20s at the time). Tobacco companies have patented, but not yet marketed, FCVs with microcapsule surface coatings, adjustable or heat-triggered flavour release systems, airflow manipulation features, transparent filters to visualise flavour release, and various flavours and additives for capsules including nicotine/tobacco extracts for an on-demand nicotine hit. Tobacco companies developed FCVs purported to be reduced harm, although their own tests showed that FCVs have higher toxicant concentrations. They have also developed loose flavour capsule units designed to fit into cigarettes, packs, or recessed filters to enable users to customise cigarettes and circumvent tobacco flavour bans.

CONCLUSIONS

To prevent tobacco companies from targeting young people and exploiting regulatory loopholes, regulations on tobacco products should ban flavours and consider the broad variety of FCV designs, additives and loose products designed to impart flavour into tobacco products.

Marketing of flavour capsule cigarettes: a systematic review

OBJECTIVE

This systematic review aims to identify marketing elements of flavour capsule variants (FCVs), cigarettes that release flavour when a capsule(s) embedded in the filter is crushed.

DATA SOURCES

A search of original research without restrictions in publication year, population, study design or language using a combination of cigarette and capsule terms was conducted across four databases (Medline, Embase, Web of Science and Scopus), indexed until 13 December 2021, along with a citation search.

STUDY SELECTION

Studies were included if they presented original research relevant to marketing features of FCVs.

DATA EXTRACTION

One author performed data extraction and coded outcomes based on '4Ps' of marketing mix theory: product, place, price and promotion. The second author conducted a cross-check.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Of 2436 unduplicated database records and 30 records from other sources, 40 studies were included in the review. Studies were published between 2009 and 2021. Study methodologies primarily included content analysis of cigarette packs/sticks, review of tobacco industry documents and content analysis of advertising information. Findings suggest FCVs are marketed using a mix of strategies, particularly characterised by product innovation, timing market launches around tobacco policies, point-of-sale advertising and packaging to communicate a high-tech, customisable and flavourful product.

CONCLUSION

Findings illuminate the marketing strategies of FCVs that are likely driving their global growth, particularly among young people and in low and middle-income countries. Comprehensive tobacco control regulations are needed to close loopholes and curb industry efforts to circumvent existing policies in order to mitigate uptake of FCVs and other product innovations.

Effects of E-Cigarette Flavor Enhancing Capsules on Inhalable Aerosols

The flavor of inhaled e-cigarette aerosols may be augmented using crushable flavor capsules added to e-cigarettes. For example, Puff Krush contains breakable flavor capsules in a sorbent material. The capsules are crushed, and then, aerosol passes through the saturated sorbent material before inhalation. Herein, we used NMR and GC-MS to identify the capsule medium chain triglyceride (MCT) solvent and flavorants in selected Puff Krush flavor capsules and then determined which molecules from the capsule transfer into aerosols. MCTs from the Puff Krush were not found in the aerosols, and ∼50% of Puff Krush flavorants transferred into the aerosol upon vaping.

The extent of harmful volatile organic compounds released when smoking after breaking the flavor capsules of heat-not-burn (HNB) cigarette products

A number of flavored capsule heat-not-burn (FC-HNB) tobacco products such as IQOS, Lil, and Glo have been introduced as a new generation of cigarettes. As they can release various types of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), it is important to assess the harmfulness associated with their use. Thus, the composition of VOCs in HNB cigarette vapor was evaluated to investigate the interactive roles of key variables controlling the relationships between VOC composition and capsule breaking, particularly the compositional changes induced by capsule breaking and release of flavor from FC-HNB cigarettes relative to regular products. As the capsules of FC-HNB cigarettes were broken, the total VOC concentrations increased by as high as eight times from 60.3 ± 0.48 to 488 ± 21.8 μg cig^-1. The key VOC components released after breaking the flavored capsules were identified as ethyl butyrate (157 ± 13.6 μg cig^-1; Lil), isoamyl acetate (76.9 ± 1.98 μg cig^-1; Lil), and limonene (52.3 ± 3.29 μg cig^-1; Glo). If the primary health risks of FC-HNB cigarette vapor are assessed using National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) guidelines, 2,3-butanedinone exceeds the maximum daily intake limit (i.e., 0.05 mg day^-1). Our study is expected to offer valuable insights into the harmful effects of direct and indirect exposure to various VOCs in FC-HNB products.

Volatile organic compounds released in the mainstream smoke of flavor capsule cigarettes

In this study, the composition of mainstream smoke was investigated with an emphasis on a list of volatile organic compounds (VOCs: e.g., isoprene, acrylonitrile, methyl ethyl ketone, benzene, toluene, m-xylene and styrene) using the two types of flavor capsule cigarettes (FCCs, here coded as F1 and F2) in reference to one commercial, non-flavored (NF) and 3R4F cigarette. The concentrations of all the target compounds from FCCs were quantified under two contrasting conditions (i.e., with and without breaking the capsules). The effect of breaking the capsule was apparent in the FCC products with the enhancement of VOC levels, specifically between after and before breaking the capsules (e.g., 1.10-1.58 folds (benzene) and 1.30-1.53 folds (acetonitrile)). Such increases were apparent in both FCC samples if assessed in terms of the total amount of VOCs (TVOC): (1) F1 (from 2159 to 2530 μg cig-1 (p = 9.42 × 10-6)) and (2) F2 (from 1470 to 2014 μg cig-1 (p = 0.05)). In addition, these TVOC levels determined from the FCCs were 1.62- to 1.83- and 1.29- to 1.46-fold higher than those of the NF cigarette and the 3R4F cigarette, respectively. Thus, these FCC products are suspected to play a role as stronger sources of VOCs than the general cigarette products.

Optimization of Determination Method of Cooling Agents in Cigarette Tipping Paper by Gas Chromatography

Monitoring the characteristic components in tipping paper is important to ensure the quality of cigarette products. This study establishes a method based on gas chromatography (GC) for determining cooling agents in tipping paper. The tipping paper was cut into pieces and extracted by ethanol under specific temperatures in a shaker. Then, the characteristic cooling agents of (-)-menthone, L-menthol, and (-)-menthyl lactate in extract were determined using GC coupled with a flame ionization detector (GC-FID). The limits of detection (LODs) and limits of quantification (LOQs) for the three cooling agents ranged from 0.15~0.32 μg/mL and 0.49~1.06 μg/mL, respectively. Results demonstrated a good linear relationship with high correlation coefficients for the three tested cooling agents. The extraction conditions of the cooling agents were optimized through a single-factor experiment as well as an orthogonal experiment. The standard addition recovery experiment showed that the average recoveries range from 81.23 to 100.62%, and the relative standard deviations (RSDs) of the measured values (n = 5) ranged from 0.34 to 1.64%.

Flavor components in tobacco capsules identified through non-targeted quantitative analysis

Tobacco flavors increase the attractiveness of a tobacco brand and ultimately promote addiction. Information about what flavor and how much flavor is in flavor capsules can provide an effective way to regulate tobacco flavor. In this study, 128 flavor chemicals were identified and quantified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry using libraries and authentic standards. Validation of the developed method was performed for interference, detection limits, calibration curves, accuracy, and precision. Menthol was the main ingredient in all capsules, and the carcinogenic pulegone was detected. Detected menthofuran, benzyl alcohol, geraniol, and eugenol cause toxic or severe irritation, and detected lactones can increase nicotine addiction by inhibiting nicotine metabolism in smokers. Margin of exposures for carcinogenic pulegone and non-carcinogenic menthol were well below safety thresholds, indicating a significant risk of inhalation exposure. It is desirable to prohibit the use of flavor capsules in consideration of human risk.

Development of a Method for Simultaneous Analysis of Allergenic Flavoring Agents in Cigarettes and Quantitative Risk Assessment for Consumer Safety

Flavoring agents are added to cigarettes to improve taste. There are mostly permitted food additives, but some of them are restricted for use in food, cosmetics, and toys, since they can cause allergic reactions. Previous studies have investigated the levels of flavoring agents in tobacco but none has focused on their content in filter tips and capsules. Moreover, no studies have assessed the risk of adding allergenic flavoring agents in cigarettes. Here, we developed and validated a simultaneous analysis method for 25 allergenic flavoring agents and menthol with gas chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry to determine levels of flavoring agents in the tobacco, filter tips, and capsules of 54 commercial cigarettes in Korea. All cigarettes contained at least one allergenic flavoring agent regardless of the inclusion of flavoring capsules. Importantly, the filter tips and the capsules contained higher levels of flavoring agents than tobacco, highlighting the importance of the quantification of flavoring agents in these parts of cigarettes. Nevertheless, the risk assessment based on their levels in cigarettes suggested that their exposure was maintained at a safe level. However, the risk assessed from maximum menthol, linalool, and cinnamaldehyde exceeded one-tenth of derived no-effect levels, suggesting the need for further studies on their risk to human health.

Breath profile as composite biomarkers for lung cancer diagnosis

OBJECTIVES

Lung cancer is continuously the leading cause of cancer related death, resulting from the lack of specific symptoms at early stage. A large-scale screening method may be the key point to find asymptomatic patients, leading to the reduction of mortality.

METHODS

An alternative method combining breath test and a machine learning algorithm is proposed. 236 breath samples were analyzed by TD-GCMS. Breath profile of each sample is composed of 308 features extracted from chromatogram. Gradient boost decision trees algorithm was employed to recognize lung cancer patients. Bootstrap is performed to simulate real diagnostic practice, with which we evaluated the confidence of our methods.

RESULTS

An accuracy of 85 % is shown in 6-fold cross validations. In statistical bootstrap, 72 % samples are marked as "confident", and the accuracy of confident samples is 93 % throughout the cross validations.

CONCLUSION

We have proposed such a non-invasive, accurate and confident method that might contribute to large-scale screening of lung cancer. As a consequence, more asymptomatic patients with early lung cancer may be detected.

Trends in cigarette brand preference among Mexican smokers: the rise of Pall Mall

OBJECTIVE

To analyse trends in cigarette brand preference among Mexican smokers during the implementation period of key WHO's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control recommendations.

METHODS

Data came from two nationally representative, comparable surveys, namely the Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2009 and 2015 and the National Survey on Addictions 2011 and 2016. Logistic models were used to estimate the adjusted prevalence of each brand purchased, as well as individual correlates of purchasing the single brand with a large growth over the study period. Multiple linear regressions were also employed to analyse cigarette prices across brands.

RESULTS

Six brand families accounted for about 90% of the cigarette market, with Marlboro clearly dominating all brands at 54%-61%. Only the share of Pall Mall brand, however, registered a rapid increase over the period-from 1% in 2009 to 14% in 2016. Women and younger smokers (15-24 years) were more likely to prefer Pall Mall over other brands. While the typical price segmentation between international (premium) brands and national (discount) brands was observed, the price of Pall Mall is within the range of the latter. Importantly, most varieties of this brand include flavour capsule varieties (FCVs).

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that the strong campaign of brand migration, the pricing strategy and the aggressive introduction of FCVs expanded Pall Mall in the Mexican cigarette market. Therefore, better control policies of cigarette contents and taxes that reduce price differentials across brands should be encouraged to promote public health.

Menthol, Nicotine, and Flavoring Content of Capsule Cigarettes in the US

Objectives

Characterize physical design features of cigarette brands sold in the US according to the delivery method of menthol that may affect sensory perception among users.

Methods

Twelve cigarette brands, mentholated and non-mentholated, were purchased for analyses of the physical design characteristics, quantification of nicotine and menthol, and identification of flavor additives.

Results

Physical design characteristics did not differ significantly between the various cigarette brands. However, significant differences were seen in levels of menthol. Menthol levels were greatest in products that had dual delivery methods of menthol (6.7mg/cigarette; SE=0.27) followed by products mentholated in a filter capsule only (5.7mg/cigarette; SE=0.25), and those mentholated in the tobacco only (3.8mg/cigarette; SE=0.12); products that were not mentholated had the least (0.38mg/cigarette; SE=0.31). Finally, flavor additives with a mint flavor profile other than menthol were identified, such as pulegone and limonene, and differed between cigarette brands, which are likely contributing to the menthol flavor experience associated with use of these products.

Conclusions

The regulation of menthol delivery method, flavorings added to the capsule, and/or menthol concentration may be beneficial for the public health as these factors are likely creating unique sensory experiences.

Investigation of menthol content and transfer rates in cigarettes and Tobacco Heating System 2.2

Menthol cigarettes account for a significant market share in many countries. However, little recent data exists on menthol levels in cigarettes and in mainstream smoke, limited to some markets or specific cigarette designs, such as cigarettes containing capsules filled with flavoring liquids. Samples of mentholated cigarettes bought worldwide with a variety of cigarette designs were analyzed for menthol content in cigarettes and in cigarette mainstream smoke with two analytical machine smoking regimes. A wide range of menthol content in cigarettes, from 1 to 22 mg/cigarette, was observed. The transfer of menthol to the cigarette mainstream smoke was generally slightly higher than the transfer of nicotine, with a range of 17%-40% using an intense smoking regime and 1%-17% using the ISO smoking regime. For the Tobacco Heating System (THS) 2.2, the menthol content was 12.8 mg/stick, and the transfer of menthol into the aerosol was about 17% with the ISO intense smoking regime, similar to the transfer of nicotine. The menthol content of the novel product THS 2.2 corresponds to the midpoint of the menthol content range of cigarettes, and the transfer of menthol to its aerosol is in the low range of cigarette menthol transfer.

Preparation and application of flavor and fragrance capsules

The preparation methods and applications of flavor and fragrance capsules based on polymeric, inorganic and polymeric–inorganic wall materials are summarized.