FAQ
We receive many questions about various topics. Here you will find a selection of the most frequently asked questions.
General
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What are loose leaf and plug tobacco?
Loose leaf and plug are forms of oral tobacco common in the United States. The first chewing tobacco in America was plug tobacco, or pressed leaf tobacco. Plug tobacco got its name from the way it was made. The tobacco was soaked in wild honey and then “plugged” into green hickory or maple logs to age. The plugging compressed the tobacco into a convenient form, while allowing the flavors to penetrate.
Loose leaf & plug are commonly marketed in loose or compressed plug form. The 1880 census listed chewing tobacco as scrap chewing tobacco. Scrap leaf, stems and considerable quantities of sugar, licorice, and other materials were employed to sweeten and flavor the product to suit the varied tastes of different classes of consumers. The word “scrap” describes the tobacco discarded in the production of cigars.
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How long has loose leaf chewing tobacco been available in the US?
Chewing tobacco is a custom that was introduced to European settlers by Native Americans in the early 1500s. When Europeans first reached the Americas they found the inhabitants consuming tobacco as a chewing product, nasal snuff, and smoking it in various fashions. Red Man chewing tobacco has been an established brand since 1904.
Products
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What chewing tobacco brands does Swedish Match sell?
Swedish Match produces and sells a number of different chewing tobacco brands in either loose or compressed plug form. They include the flagship Red Man brand in loose and plug form, Golden Blend, Red Man Silver Blend, Southern Pride, J.D.’s Blend, Red Horse, Granger Select, Union Standard, Pay Car, Apple Thick Plug, Brown Mule Plug, Natural Leaf Plug, Spark Plug, Tinsley Plug, Union Standard Plug, WNT Plug, and Day’s Work Plug. These brands are all sold principally in North America.
Manufacture
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How is chewing tobacco produced?
Swedish Match’s chewing tobaccos are made from quality cigar leaf grown principally in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Chewing tobacco can be divided into two general categories: loose leaf and plug tobacco. Loose leaf tobacco is typically produced from dark air tobacco which has been stemmed, is cased (or coated) with sweet flavorings composed of food approved ingredients. The product is dried to the specified moisture and packaged in foil pouches.
Plug tobacco is prepared in much the same manner as loose leaf but is compressed and cut into the plug form and is wrapped with a tobacco based outer wrapper and placed in a cellophane or foil over wrap.
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Where is Red Man produced?
Red Man is produced by Swedish Match in Owensboro, Kentucky.
Content
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What types of tobacco are most common in chewing tobacco?
The most commonly used tobacco in chewing tobacco products are dark air tobaccos.
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What types of ingredients are used in the casing of chewing tobacco?
Chewing tobacco casing includes sugars, molasses, licorice, natural and artificial flavors.
Usage
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Where is chewing tobacco used in the world?
Except for the US, chewing tobacco is also used in Germany, France and Great Britain, where small tobacco-bits are preferred. A different form of chewing tobacco, often in combination with betel, is also used in African countries, India and East Asia.
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How is chewing tobacco used?
The product is placed in the mouth between the cheek and gum and is held there while the nicotine is extracted and taken up by the tissues inside the mouth. Occasionally, the product is moved to renew the flavor and refresh the surface for nicotine extraction.
Storage
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How should chewing tobacco be stored?
Chewing tobacco products should be stored in cool dry place.
It should be stored away from heat sources to avoid discoloration of packaging.
Avoid storage temperatures above130 degrees Fahrenheit (55 degrees Celsius) as this will cause package and product degradation.
Sales
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Which products are sold in the different markets?
All products are sold in the United States with Red Man and Apple Thick Plug being sold in Canada. There are some global sales of chewing tobacco products, principally in parts of the EU, but the amounts are small and typically limited to Red Man.
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Is it possible to purchase American chewing tobacco in Sweden?
There are some global sales of American chewing tobacco products, principally in parts of the EU, but the amounts are small and typically limited to Red Man. Even in Sweden it’s possible to find Red Man even though it isn’t very common.
Contact
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How do I complain about chewing tobacco products?
Our packaging contains the phone number and mailing address for use in reporting a complaint. To register a complaint or express any comment regarding the product please refer to the following information:
Swedish Match US Division
Two James Center
1021 East Cary Street, Suite 1600
Richmond, VA 23219
United States
Phone: +1 804 787 5100
Fax: +1 804 225 7000
e-mail
The information that you will need to provide are your name, address, phone number, description of the problem or comment, product name and code date. If product is available for return to Swedish Match, you will be provided shipping material and instructions to return any unused product for further analysis. This will allow a thorough and rapid evaluation of your concern.