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Swedish snus dates back to the end of the 18th century. It is a moist to semi-moist, ground oral tobacco product consisting of mainly air or sun-cured tobaccos, water, salt and flavours, and is taken orally. It is because of the oral nature of its usage that differentiates Swedish snus from snuff, the dry variety, which is more commonly used in many other countries, and which is taken nasally. Swedish snus exists in two packaging formats; loose snus and portion packed snus. There are four main ingredients in snus. These are selected tobacco, water, salt and flavours. What makes Swedish snus unique is the manufacturing process, coupled to stringent requirements in the selection of high quality tobacco. Swedish snus is manufactured using a heat-treatment process similar to pasteurisation. This process contributes towards ensuring the product arrives at the retail shops in prime condition. Although snus is not a food, in Sweden it is currently governed by the food legislation. This means that the ingredients used in snus must be approved according to the food legislation and the same stringent hygiene demands as for the manufacture of foodstuffs is imposed, and adhered to.
SNUS
Snus is a moist powder tobacco, a kind of snuff. Snus is manufactured and mainly consumed in Sweden and Norway , where it is pronounced /snooz/. The most usual way to consume snus is to place it beneath the upper lip, and keep it there for a time varying from a few minutes to several hours, according to taste.
There are two main types of snus on the market:
Original snus or lössnus is a loose, moist powder which can be portioned and rolled into a cylindrical shape with the fingertips, or using a prismaster tool. The end result is often referred to as a pris (pinch) or prilla or prell (slang for pris).
Portionssnus, is prepackaged powder in small bags made from the same material as teabags. It comes in smaller quantities than the loose powder but is considered easier to handle (and expectorate) than the loose powder.
Swedish snus is made from air dried tobacco from various parts of the world. In earlier times tobacco for making snus used to be laid out for drying in Scania and Mälardalen. Later Kentucky tobaccos were used. The ground tobacco is mixed with water, salt, sodium carbonate and aroma and is prepared through heating, generally via steam. Moist snus contain more than 50% water, and the average use of snus in Sweden is approximately 800 grams (16 units) per person per year. Unlike American-sold oral tobacco that has gone through a fermentation process, snus has not.
Snus is sold mainly in Sweden and Norway, but can be found in outlets in various other countries frequented by Scandinavian tourists (with the notable exception of countries in the EU; see below). It is sold in small tins, which in the earlier years were made of porcelain, wood, silver or gold, but nowadays come in compressed paper or plastic. They contain 50g of loose snus or 24g of portion bags. Portion snus is usually sold in plastic boxes and loose snus is sold in paper boxes.
The total production of Swedish snus, mainly for the Scandinavian market, has been reported to be in excess of 300 million units per year. After the Norwegian government in June 2004 implemented a strict indoor smoking ban in public places, sales of snus skyrocketed, and several new variants of the product were put on the Norwegian market. When the Swedish government did the same thing in June 2005, sales of snus increased dramatically.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
SMOKELESS ALTERNATIVE
Recent studies suggest that using snus is less risky than smoking cigarettes. As health activists debate their strategy, Swedish Match steps up production.
Sweden is the only country in the world to have reached the World Health Organization’s (WHO) goal of bringing its share of smokers down to less than 20 percent of the population by 2000. Fewer than one in five adults still smoke. So what is the secret? The answer is moist snuff, or as the Swedes call it, “snus,” and it is no secret—it’s tradition. Snus has more than 1 million users in Sweden alone, half of which are former smokers.
Brian Wicklin, senior statistician for the Swedish Statistical Bureau VECA, says, “Sweden maintains a low smoking profile and a high snus profile.” According to a report published by the bureau in September, smoking prevalence among Swedish men decreased from 36 percent in 1980 to 17 percent in 1997. The figure for women went down from 29 percent to 22 percent during the same period.
Snus use, by contrast, increased from 562 grams per person (age 15 and up) in the years 1980-1982 to 796 grams per person in 1998-2000, according to VECA. The WHO and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development both recognize these numbers as the official figures for Sweden.
THE TRADITION
Snus comes in two versions, loose or poached, and is consumed by placing it between the upper lip and gum. Swedish Match is the chief producer with a significant market share in Sweden, to say the least, and sales increasing every year. In 2001, the company reported sales of 175 million cans, up 5 percent from the previous year, bringing in 3.7 billion Swedish kronor (sek1=us$0.11). Swedish Match’s major brands are Grovsnus, General, Catch, Ettan and Göteborgs Rapé. Although several competitors have attempted to enter the Swedish snus market in recent years, their market share remains relatively small.
Snus has been a Swedish tradition for centuries but its image is changing rapidly. The impression of a scruffy old man with his snus has disappeared and today’s average snus consumer is a former cigarette-smoking male of between 35 and 40 who has completed higher education and earns more than the average Swede. Women account for slightly more than 10 percent of snus consumers.
Swedish Match produces its snus in accordance with the Gothiatek standard, which sets limits on the levels of certain substances that have been identified as posing possible health risks. Strict control of such substances places demands on the raw materials and production processes. Gothiatek features a careful selection of tobaccos (mainly air-cured) and a carefully controlled manufacturing process that heats rather than ferments the tobacco. All additives must have been approved for use in foods. (In Sweden, snus is regulated as a food substance.)
EU BAN
Snus, or moist snuff, is popular in Sweden and the United States, has a growing market in Norway, and is even being test-marketed in India and Russia. One major tobacco market remains off-limits, however—the European Union (EU). In 1992, the EU banned snus, arguing that the product attracts young consumers, is carcinogenic and classifies as a “new” tobacco product. However, when Sweden joined the EU in 1995, it negotiated an exemption from the ban, claiming that snus is part of Sweden’s heritage.
Recently, the EU has started reconsidering its position on snus. Following a number of scientific studies that concluded snus does not increase the risk of cancer, the EU allowed snus manufacturers to discontinue printing the warning “Causes Cancer” on snus cans. “The warning text should never have been introduced, since there has never been any scientific evidence that our Swedish snus increases the risk of cancer,” says Stefan Gelkner, head of the Swedish Match North Europe Division.
Swedish Match anticipates that the EU ban on snus sales outside Sweden will be lifted altogether. If this happens, it would generate an array of business opportunities and potential for market growth. The Nordic countries and Germany appear especially promising for snus manufacturers.
SMOKING ALTERNATIVE
In Sweden, snus is marketed as an alternative to smoking and a method of tobacco use that shows consideration for other people. Referring to the recent studies, Swedish Match argues the product is a safer method of tobacco consumption than cigarette smoking.
Obviously, reducing smoking rates by promoting another form of tobacco consumption is not without controversy. Some health advocates argue that it prevents smokers from choosing the healthiest option—quitting altogether. Nevertheless, Swedish statistics clearly suggest that it’s working. The Swedish Cancer Foundation (SCF) found in a study that snus was twice as effective as nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) in helping smokers kick the habit. Of those who quit smoking, 33 percent used snus and only 17 percent used NRTs.
The higher effectiveness of snus can be attributed to consumer perceptions. Unlike NRTs, snus is not perceived as a medicine and smokers are more likely to give it a try. Snus also typically has a higher nicotine content than NRTs, which makes it more desirable from a smoker’s perspective. In addition, snus is easy to obtain and cheaper than many nicotine substitutes. At a Smokeless Tobacco Con ference held in Stockholm in late September, delegates expressed interest in labeling snus as a harm-reduction product.
The alleged role of snus in reducing Sweden’s smoking rates has aroused interest in the scientific community, which has already dubbed the phenomenon the “Swedish experience.” In 2000, Sweden’s male population had the lowest lung cancer prevalence in the industrialized world. A man’s risk of dying from a tobacco-related disease is lower in Sweden than in any other European country. These encouraging statistics, combined with a high-snus, low-smoking consumption pattern, seem to suggest that snus is indeed less harmful than cigarette smoking. Even certain health campaigners are warming up to the idea of snus as a less risky alternative to smoking. At an international cancer conference in Oslo, Norway, this summer, public health advocates criticized the EU ban on snus and argued in favor of snus as a way to reduce smoking.
As health activists continue to contemplate the subject, Swedish Match has great expectations of the smokeless tobacco segment. Since selling its cigarette business in 1999, the company has concentrated exclusively on the other tobacco products segment—and with considerable success. To meet increasing demand for snus and other smokeless tobacco products, the company is building a second factory outside Gothenburg, which is scheduled to start production in 2003. The company will be able to expand the new factory if the need arises. As Swedish Match looks to the future, it is confident that snus is in no danger of fading away. Tobacco Reporter - Page Design & Layout ©2005
SWEDES HAPPILY ADDICTED to THEIR 'SNUS' TOBACCO
GOTEBORG, Sweden - Inside a waterfront factory soaked with the acrid smell of tobacco, about half the workers show an odd facial deformity: Their upper lips look swollen. It’s a telltale sign they are sampling some of the 20 tons of smokeless tobacco being produced here daily.
Snus (pronounced snoos), a Scandinavian form of moist snuff, has been banned elsewhere in the European Union for more than a decade, but its popularity has rebounded in its country of origin, where one of every nine Swedes uses it. And the top snus maker, Swedish Match, is targeting world markets with claims that its blend of tobacco, water, salt and flavoring is a safer alternative to smoking.
“We don’t claim that snus is a completely problem-free product,” Stefan Gelkner, a Swedish Match executive, says while squeezing a pouch of prepackaged snuff under his upper lip. “But we refer to the scientific studies conducted that haven’t found any link between snus and cancer.” After falling out of style in the 1970s, the traditionally male, working-class habit has spread into all sectors of Swedish society, male and female. Grimy, used snus packets litter the otherwise clean streets and subway stations of Stockholm.
Meanwhile, the smoking rate has fallen below 20 percent in the Scandinavian country of nine million - one of the lowest rates in the world.
Unlike American snuff, which is placed in the lower mouth, causing users to salivate and spit, a Swedish snus portion, or prilla, is held on the gum above the front teeth. Many users opt for snus in thumbnail-size paper pouches, to prevent the tobacco from spreading around the mouth. As protruding upper lips replace smoke rings in Swedish bars and offices, scientists debate the ethics of replacing cigarettes with another tobacco product, one that is less harmful, perhaps, but just as addictive because of its nicotine content.
“I don’t think there’s any question that Sweden is a model for safer use of tobacco products,” says dentist Brad Rodu, a smokeless-tobacco advocate at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “The only consequential risk of smokeless tobacco is mouth cancer, and historically, that risk is extremely small.”
Rodu spent six months researching snus in northern Sweden and says it is a much safer alternative for smokers who can’t kick the nicotine habit. He says several studies have failed to link snus to cancer, which Swedish Match attributes to its efforts to remove carcinogens during manufacturing.
First-time snus users often feel dizzy and nauseous. Some vomit. But those who get past that find quitting is difficult.
Well-known users are national soccer team coach Lars Lagerback, Social Affairs Minister Lars Engqvist, and Ingvar Kamprad, founder of the furnishings giant Ikea.
The World Health Organization says Swedish men have Europe’s lowest lung-cancer rate, partly because so few smoke. Nevertheless, WHO argues against substituting snus for smoking, saying the health effects remain unclear. The EU banned the sale of snus in 1992, citing a 1985 WHO study that said “oral use of snuffs of the types used in North America and western Europe is carcinogenic to humans.” A WHO committee on tobacco has acknowledged evidence is inconclusive regarding Swedish snus.
Only Sweden is exempt from the EU ban - a concession considered key to Swedish voters when they approved membership in the bloc. Bumper stickers reading “EU - not without my prilla” were common before the 1994 referendum. Swedish Match is lobbying for an end to the EU ban. “It’s illogical and discriminating,” says Gelkner, head of the firm’s northern Europe division. “All other tobacco products are allowed, while snus, which is considered the least damaging to health, is prohibited.”
Swedish Match is exploring other markets with traditions of smokeless tobacco, including North America, South Africa and India.
The company’s factory in Owensboro, Ky., accounts for about 9 percent of the moist snuff sold in the United States.
Palm, who started using snus at age 12, says he empties nine cans a week, an annual cost of $1,200. A Swedish smoker who buys a $4.90 pack of cigarettes daily spends $1,782 a year. Pondering the impact of snus on his life, Palm says, “The best thing is probably a body free from poison.”
By Karl Ritter
December 29, 2003
Associated Press
TOBACCO HARM REDUCTION TAKING HOLD; Reduced Risk Benefits of Swedish Snus Gaining Awareness in American Society
RICHMOND, Va., April 16 /U.S. Newswire/ - Swedish Match North America (SMNA), a manufacturer of specialty tobacco products based in Richmond, Va; supports the recent media dialogue surrounding tobacco harm reduction for cigarette smokers. As a supplement to the international dialogue that has taken place over the last several years, recent media features from The New York Times, Washington Times, and BBC World Radio have advanced the concept of harm reduction and highlighted the reduced risk benefits of Swedish snus. SMNA encourages these mainstream discussions surrounding alternatives to cigarette smoking as they examine reduced harm products and they provide a balance of information for adult cigarette smokers to make informed decisions.
The genesis of tobacco harm reduction can be traced to what researchers call the "Swedish Experience." Sweden currently has the lowest level of tobacco-related mortality in the developed world as well as the lowest percentage of male smokers (16 percent) of any European nation. In addition, Sweden became the first and only country in the world to lower adult smoking prevalence below the World Health Organization (WHO) target level of 20 percent before the end of the year 2000. This transition is due primarily to Swedish male smokers converting to "snus," a moist, ground, oral tobacco product. Scientific studies confirmed that cancer and diseases associated with smoking have dropped dramatically in Sweden during this time. Many health officials attribute this improvement in public health among smokers to the consumption of snus.
Swedish snus is a smokeless tobacco product that is offered either loose or in a pouch. The product is discreet and spitless because it is placed between the upper lip and gum. Swedish Match's snus is manufactured by the GothiaTek(r) process, which is the company's quality standard for Swedish snus. The standard ensures high and consistent quality of snus products and establishes stringent product and manufacturing requirements for safer forms of smokeless tobacco. Currently, Swedish Match's snus products are available in Kentucky, New York City, North Carolina, Ohio and Washington, D.C. with future market expansion underway.
"With tobacco public policy at a crossroads, an important first step in this effort is to provide consumers with the comprehensive information they need to make informed decisions," said Lennart Freeman, president of Swedish Match North America. "Many international and domestic experts agree that such information should include reasonable explanations of reduced tobacco harm alternatives, and we applaud these media outlets for broadening the scope of fact-based information for consumers."
4/16/2004 9:50:00 AM
To: National Desk
Contact: Jen Atkinson, 202-715-1547 or jennifer.atkinson@dittus.com, for Swedish Match North America