sun-cured: tobacco dried in the sun

light air-cured: tobacco dried in the air under cover

The invention further relates to cured tobacco processed with this method.

Abstract The present invention is drawn to methods for reducing tobacco-specific nitrosamine (TSNA) content in cured tobacco by increasing the levels of antioxidants in the tobacco prior to harvesting.

The tobacco blend includes burley and a second tobacco, such as flue-cured, oriental, Maryland, or rare and exotic tobaccos, and combinations thereof.

The resulting cured tobacco usually has tobacco-specific nitrosamine (TSNA) levels which are undetectable and are similar to levels found in freshly harvested, green tobacco.

Canada ranks among the top 12 tobacco-producing countries and produces 5 major types: flue cured, ie, heat cured; and burley, cigar, dark and pipe, which are air cured.

Cured tobacco is treated with an effective amount of one or more bactericidal gases before or during storage to reduce or eliminate bacteria, bacterial activity and/or fungal activity from the cured tobacco.

dark air-cured: tobacco dried in the air under cover, fermented before being marketed

A Turkish blend may contain up to 100% sun-dried tobacco, as is the case with traditional Turkish cigarettes.

flue-cured: tobacco dried in ovens with controlled air circulation, temperature and humidity

An Oriental blend can contain up to 100% of sun-cured tobacco - as found in a traditional Turkish cigarette.

Tobacco cured by artificial heat (Virginia flue-cured): this is the tobacco type more widely grown, reckoning for about 70% of the world production.

Cigars are smoking products containing air-cured tobacco in a wrapper.

In preferred embodiments, the resultant tobacco products are dried, golden-yellow leaves having almost negligible amounts of the known carcinogens NNN and NNK, in comparison to conventionally cured tobacco.