Manufacturing of Swedish Snuff, Svenskt Snus
The production process for snuff from Swedish Match differs from the processes used in other countries for non-smoking tobacco products. Swedish snus manufacturing is governed by Swedish food law, which means that the additives used are approved for food, and that the hygienic standard is high. In addition, the swedish manufacturers has implemented their own quality standard´s to secure a high quality in all aspetcts, from tobacco plants to consumers.
Tobacco in Swedish snus has been chosen to ensure that snake mills’ internal limit values for undesirable substances are met in each individual product, as well as that production is in line with Swedish food law. Swedish snuff from the market leader Swedish Matrch does not contain genetically modified tobacco.
In addition to ground tobacco, the main ingredients are in the preparation of snuff of water, salt (common salt) and sodium carbonate. Also included are aromas and moisture preservatives.
The production of Swedish snuff, svenskt snus, is mainly made in three stages: grinding, preparation and packing. Swedish Match follows an extremely rigorous manufacturing process with strict hygiene requirements, where each step is monitored and analyzed.
milling
- The tobacco is peeled up, dried and then fed into a mill where it is ground. The ground tobacco is sifted in coarse, medium and fine flour.
preparation - The process starts with the tobacco flour being weighed and transported to a closed mixer. Water and salt are added with stirring after which the snuff is heated. The temperature of the snus mixture and stirring are controlled by data. This part of the process is called pasteurization. Then the snuff is cooled and the other ingredients are added. Samples are taken for quality control. If all measured values are approved, the kit is ready to be packed.
- Packing
Loose nose: Filling of doses takes place in automatic packing machines. The filled doses are sealed with a lid. Then they are weighed and labeled.
Portion Snus: Portion snus packing is a more complicated process. The portions are measured and inserted into a tube of cellulose fiber, which is then sealed on the cross and then cut apart to prills. Finished portion pills are filled in a plastic box after which the lid is put on. Finally, the doses are weighed and labeled.
Packaging material: Loose nose is packed mostly in paraffin-coated cardboard boxes. In the manufacture of cardboard boxes, cardboard of two different grades is used, one for the sack and one for the bottom of the dose. The cover is made of polypropylene plastic. For portion snus, polypropylene plastic doses are used. Portion snus is more sensitive to dehydration than loose nose. The use of plastic box for the portion snus is primarily for sustainability reasons.