US Patent 7404406 Tobacco processing

Patent 7404406 was granted and assigned to R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company on July, 2008 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

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Is a

Patent

Patent attributes

Current Assignee

R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company

Patent Jurisdiction

United States Patent and Trademark Office

Patent Number

7404406

Date of Patent

July 29, 2008

Patent Application Number

10931197

Date Filed

September 1, 2004

Patent Primary Examiner

‌

Carlos Lopez

Patent abstract

Tobaccos are cured in a manner so as to provide tobaccos having extremely low tobacco specific nitrosamine (TSNA) contents. Harvested Virginia tobacco is subjected to flue-curing so as to provide flue-cured tobacco. During the curing processing steps, contact of the tobacco with nitric oxide gases, such as those produced as combustion products of propane burning heating units, is avoided. Tobacco in curing barns is not subjected to direct-fire curing techniques, but rather, heat for tobacco curing can be provided by heat exchange or electrical heating methods.