Dear Panel members,
the enhanced addictiveness of RECON used exclusively in iQos HEETS
iQos Heets use cast leaf technology aka RECON (reconstituted tobacco)
The veins, stalks and stems, leaf dust (named OFFAL) from the cigarette production process are mixed with chemicals in a slurry to create a Recon sheet.
https://startobacco.biz/reconstituted-tobacco/
The manufacturer can fine tune the addictiveness of the RECON product and using a smaller amount of RECON.
http://www.jeffreywigand.com/theinsider.php
see The Insider Dr Wigand’s expert report under –‘Testimonies’ – ‘Dr Wigand’s WHO Expert Report’
Search the report for ‘Recon’
The Report is eye opening and informatory.
For your ease of reference I attach some sections on RECON from the WHO Expert report:
Quote:
“The use of RECON is the one of the principal methods of introducing acid base ammonia chemistry and other additives into the USB non-menthol cigarette blend. RECON can be considered a chemical-additive delivery system in addition to the casing process of tobacco. Ammonia chemistry is utilized for several reasons; 1) to scavenge nicotine from each blend component; 2) to equalize the concentration of nicotine in the tobacco column rod; and 3) to modify pH such that nicotine becomes a free base.
Free nicotine, which is controlled by smoke pH, is a more potent form of nicotine that is in the gas phase rather than bound nicotine that is in the particulate phase. The extensive use of ammonia chemistry in RECON converts the salt linked or protonated nicotine into “free” nicotine that has a higher potency than its salt/protonated form. Free nicotine it is not detected by the smoking machine analysis of tar and nicotine since it is in the gaseous state not in the particulate state of matter.
The primary importance of RECON is neither the utilization of manufacturing waste nor the enhancement of economy of manufacture. Rather, RECON is important because it introduces a significant amount of additives into the cigarette blend. These additives accomplish two distinct purposes: 1) they increase the addictive capacity of the cigarette and 2) they facilitate the ease of smoking by ameliorating the effects of inhaling smoke.
RECON tobacco comprises about 20-30% of a USB cigarette’s blend formulation on a w/w basis. It is a chemically manipulated material using abundant additives, such as glycerol, licorice, cocoa, honey, polyethyleneglycol (PEG), simple sugars, invert sugars and ammonia based additives such as ammonium hydroxide, urea and diammonium hydrogen phosphate (DAP). The ammonia based additives in RECON play a key role in the manipulation of nicotine.
The finished product is a highly energized chemical matrix which forms the basis of many of the chemical reactions occurring in the tobacco rod column, such as nicotine scavenging, generation of free nicotine, smoke pH manipulation, and formation of some flavor reaction products.
- Raw material components and composition of RECON
RECON is produced utilizing by numerous by-products of the cigarette manufacturing process. There are three (3) distinct RECON types; Paper I, Paper II and band cast. The raw material used to make RECON contains the following components:
1) Offal or the tobacco dust generated in either the Green Leaf Trashing (GLT) plant or in the Primary manufacturing process. The GLT Plant strips and removes the veins of the tobacco leaf into large strips of lamina and produces a by-product called stems. Stems can be utilized either as a cigarette blend component or as one of the sources of raw material for RECON.
2) The primary portion of the manufacturing plant produces the fines and winnowers when tobacco, a moisture sensitive biomaterial is moved rapidly through the
manufacturing process, either pneumatically or via high-speed conveyor belts. This aspect of the manufacturing process causes dehydration and brittleness of the tobacco material, and therewith the formation of tobacco fines and dust (offal).
3) Stems produced at the GLT Plant
4) Tobacco fines or winnowers
5) Product Reclaim. Finished product that is collected from the distribution channel is returned to the manufacturing plant for reprocessing. This includes the finished goods that, due to moisture content loss, are deemed unsuitable for smoking due to increased irritation, harshness and the fact that they pose a fire hazard.
6) Unique tobacco cultivars are used either to augment nicotine content or to augment or enhance flavor attributes of the final RECON product.
7) Cellulosic material from wood pulp added for fiber content
3. Band cast reconstituted tobacco (Dark RECON)
Band cast uses the same starting raw materials but differs fundamentally from the paper making RECON process. Unlike the paper process, band cast is made by adding the stock raw tobacco materials (see list above) and prescribed chemical additives into one reaction vessel.
The tobacco material is then pulverized with the additives forming a thermally and chemically reacted slurry mixture. The sheet is made by pouring the slurry into a “doctor blade” which regulates the amount of slurry that is applied to a moving S/S non-perforated belt. The basis weight can be controlled at this point.
The slurry mixture then goes through three separate heating zones where the water content is reduced forming a solid sheet. This solid sheet is then cut into irregular pieces and boxed in a similar manner to the paper RECON.”
See also
https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-on-smoking-and-covid-19
Kind regards,
James Middleton
Chairman
Clear the Air NGO