Swedish snus is world unique and has its origins from the end of the 18th Century. Unlike nasal snuff, which is inhaled through the nasal cavity, oral snuff is moist to facilitate using in the oral cavity. Our snus is made from ground tobacco and used under the upper lip, compared with American moist snuff, which is also available in grated form and placed under the lower lip. It contains selected air-dried tobacco variations, water, salt, softening agent, conservatives and flavoring.
The uniqueness of Swedish snus, manufactured by Swedish Match, is that we have very high quality demands. We have ensured this by following our GOTHIATEK® quality standard. The distinguishing qualities are:
- Choice of raw materials: To ensure compliance of very high demands on raw materials, a number of chemical analyses are performed during the manufacturing process. This guarantees that harmful substances are discovered in time.
- Manufacturing: The largest fundamental difference between Swedish snus and other snuff is the preparation process itself. Swedish Match’s snus is manufactured through a proprietary developed heat-treatment process – a pasteurizing method that eliminates most of the bacteria that are naturally found in dried tobacco. The preparation occurs with full control of process conditions and process hygiene aimed at providing the snus with a longer shelf life. On the other hand, traditional American snuff is fermented.
- Legislation: In Sweden, snus manufacture and its usage fall under the Food Act. Snus is therefore subject to the same control as food. The National Institute of Public Health is the supervising authority for warning texts on tobacco products and manages the ingredients reports that all tobacco manufacturers must submit annually, in accordance with applicable EU directives. Marketing and sales issues fall under the Swedish Consumer Agency.
- Cold storage. We recommend cold storage for snus for best shelf life.
- All snus operations within Swedish Match in Scandinavia are quality and environmentally assured in accordance with ISO 9001:2000 and 14001:2004.
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