FAQ
When was Swedish Match founded?
Swedish Match springs out of two historical Swedish companies. In 1915, The state-owned Svenska Tobaksmonopolet (the Swedish Tobacco Monopoly) was founded and in 1917, Svenska Tändsticks AB was founded, with Ivar Kreuger as President.
How do I apply for a vacancy?
When applying for a particular position we would like you to write a cover letter and attach your CV/resume. It is important that your CV is accurate, lack of information could result in not being considered for an interview. For more information, see the page Vacant positions.
Can Swedish snus be purchased directly from you?
Yes, you can order the entire Swedish Match snus range via the Company's e-commerce service, www.swedishmatch.se, and via your local brand page if you are a resident in another market.
Search FAQ
Snus
What is Swedish snus from Swedish Match and what is the difference from other snuff?
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 moist 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.
Which flavoring does Swedish snus contain?
We add a variety of flavors and aromas to snus, like licorice, lemon oil, and rose oil. These are all approved food additives by the Swedish National Food Administration (like the USFDA) and follow the Swedish Match Ingredients Policy. However, the exact recipes are business secrets, of course.
What does Swedish snus contain?
Swedish snus is manufactured from selected tobacco varieties, various salts, flavoring and moisture-preserving substances. In Sweden, snus is legally classified as food. Only food-approved ingredients are used in snus and the manufacturing occurs in premises that are hygienically suitable for food production.
Swedish snus includes mainly the following ingredients:
- Cooking salt – gives taste and has a preserving effect
- Sodium carbonate – a basic pH-regulating agent that transforms into bicarbonate in snus.
- Food-approved moisture-preserving substances such as glycerol and propylene glycol
- Flavoring – gives the various brands their specific character.
What is GOTHIATEK®?
GOTHIATEK® is Swedish Match’s own quality standard for Swedish snus, which we created due to lack of international standards for smokeless tobacco products. The name is trademark protected.
The standard imposes stringent requirements on products and manufacturing aimed at ensuring a high and lasting quality. The standard also means that we have very low content of unwanted substances. Read more about GOTHIATEK®.
How is Swedish snus manufactured?
Swedish Match manufactures Swedish snus according to GOTHIATEK® our quality standard for Swedish snus. The standard imposes stringent requirements on products and manufacturing aimed at ensuring a high and lasting quality.
In order to achieve our high-quality demands, we use only quality tobacco, specially selected for its aroma and taste properties and chemical composition, in which we strive for as low levels of harmful substances as possible. We operate research cultivations in several countries aimed at cultivating the best possible tobacco raw material. Important characteristics such as processing capabilities, chemical structures and tastes, vary depending on seed types, cultivation locations and climate, the position of the leaves on the plant, cultivation processes and drying methods. The tobacco is analyzed more than five times during the manufacturing process to ensure our high-quality demand and chemical composition.
The manufacture of Swedish snus in accordance with GOTHIATEK® comprise three primary moments, grinding, preparation and packing.
- The dried tobacco leaves are ground into tobacco meal. The grinding grade or grain size varies depending on the snus brand. One tobacco recipe may contain as many as 30 different types of tobacco grades, which is the name for raw tobacco based on type, country of origin and the position of the leaves on the plant.
- During preparation, tobacco meal is mixed with salt and water. The salt is added for the flavor but also to extend the keeping qualities of the snus. After which, the snus mixture goes through a heat treatment, a pasteurization aimed at neutralizing microorganisms and give the snus a longer shelf life. This is traditionally known as sweating. The process is completely sealed and the quality control is rigorous.
The mixture is then cooled and other ingredients such as flavoring are added.
Finally the snus is packed into cans after the portion-packed snus is filled into portion pouches and the adequate moisture grade is assured.
In which countries is Swedish snus in accordance with GOTHIATEK® available?
Swedish snus in accordance with GOTHIATEK® is available in Sweden, Norway, the US, among other markets.
Why are the Swedish portion-packed snus packed in plastic cans and the loose snus in cardboard cans?
The cardboard cans are the original, traditional snus packing. Today, it is manufactured of recycled paper and used for loose snus. Since portion-packed snus is more sensitive to drying out than loose snus, it requires a tighter can. Therefore portion-packed snus is packed in a plastic can.
What types of plastic are used in the packing for Swedish snus?
All plastic cans and plastic lids for both Swedish snus and American moist snuff are made from polypropylene. Rolls of cans are mostly shrink-wrapped in polyethylene. At complete combustion, only carbon dioxide and water remain from these plastics. All coloring agents in the plastic are approved for food packaging. The plastic cans and plastic lids are therefore recyclable, #5.
What is the best way to store Swedish snus?
Snus is perishable and must be stored in a refrigerator for best shelf life. When stored correctly, the shelf life for moist loose snus is 14 weeks, for moist portion-packed snus 20 weeks and for the dry assortments30 weeks. For longer storage, we would recommend freezing, which is excellent up to one year. Then, we recommend that the cans be vacuum-packed in airtight freezer bags. Snus in cardboard cans should be thawed in the refrigerator so that the condensation does not undo the glued seams in the cardboard can or the label on the outside of the can.
What happens to Swedish snus that becomes old?
Most often old snus just dries out and loses much of its aroma and flavor. There is a very small risk that it will start to mold. Snus is not normally unhealthy when it gets too old but still, just like any food, if it smells bad, don’t use it.
We always label the snus cans with a ‘Best before’ date. When you keep it refrigerated, snus will usually stay fresh much longer than that date.
How and who decides the consumer price for Swedish snus and why does it vary?
Manufacturers are not allowed to give any price recommendations for trading, which in turn means that it is the individual retailer who decides the consumer prices. This is also the explanation to possible price variations between different stores and chains.
Can Swedish snus be purchased directly from you?
Yes, you can order the entire Swedish Match snus range via the Company's e-commerce service, www.swedishmatch.se, and via your local brand page if you are a resident in another market.
What is the age limit for Swedish snus?
Swedish Match has an “Adult only Tobacco and Nicotine” policy which firmly states that all tobacco products shall only be sold to adults of legal tobacco age in each market, and who are 18 years of age or over.
Why is Swedish snus not available in the EU since it is available in Sweden?
Due to the EU snus trade ban, which was introduced in 1993, Swedish snus is not allowed to be sold in the EU, with the exception of Sweden. In Sweden’s negotiations regarding membership, a permanent exemption was granted from the ban. A corresponding exemption was granted in Norway in the EES agreement.
Is Swedish snus available in Norway?
Norway is not a member of the EU and is therefore not included in the EU’s snus ban. An exemption was granted in Norway in the EES agreement.
Why was the cancer warning removed from Swedish snus?
Since there are no research results that prove a connection between snus and cancer, the EU decided to remove the demand for the cancer warning on Swedish snus in 2001.
As a consumer, how do I contact Swedish Match with regard to Swedish snus?
For more information, please contact Swedish Match, Consumer contact in Sweden:
Telephone number:
Sweden: 0200-113 114 (toll free)
Norway: 800 800 89 (toll free)
From other countries: +46 8 658 01 00
Email: customerservice@swedishmatch.com
If you have a complaint and in order for us to analyze the snus and confirm the reason for the irregularity, we would like you to send the entire can with remaining content to us. Please enclose name, address, telephone number and reason for complaint and state whether you are over the age of 18 and we will reimburse you, https://feedback.swedishmatch.com/.
Swedish Match
Consumer contact, Complaints
BOX 77
SE-401 21 Gothenburg
Sweden
In the US, our snus packaging contains a consumer contact phone number and mailing address.
Where can I find out more about snus and health?
For more information about snus and health, please refer to the section on our website www.swedishmatch.com/Snus-and-health/.
