Category: Smokeless

Conny Andersson Joins Sting Free

Conny Andersson (Photo courtesy of Sting Free)
Snus master blender Conny Andersson has joined Sting Free, a Swedish company that has developed a solution to eliminate the stinging sensation associated with snus use.
Andersson is a skilled and experienced tobacco expert and “father” to popular snus varieties, such as vintage snus Kardus (2005–2012), Islay Whiskey Snus, Crafted Snus and Hop (e) & Glory snus.
In recent years, Andersson helped produce several tobacco-free snus alternatives, including Infiniti, YoYo and others. Since 2015, Andersson has worked as a self-employed consultant for several Swedish and international companies, primarily in the snus and nicotine pouch industry.
Sting-free may become a new standard in the global oral nicotine industry.
Conny Andersson
“Sting-free may become a new standard in the global oral nicotine industry,” said Andersson in a statement. “The reason is that the burning sensation on the gums is a big obstacle for almost all adult nicotine users to take up snus or nicotine pouches [for the] first time. This is especially true in countries outside the Nordic region where there is no snus tradition at all. The fact that the new technology may also help smokers to dare trying a smoke-free oral nicotine alternative to cigarettes is inspiring.”
Andersson is a shareholder in Sting Free and a new member of the executive working group from April 2021.
Tobacco Reporter profiled Sting Free in July 2017 (see “Patching the Pouch”).
April 1, 2021
Investors Embrace Sting Free Snus

Bengt Wiberg (Photo: Sting Free)
Sting Free AB has received SEK27 million ($3.1 million) through an ownership dispersion. Investors include Curt Enzell, inventor of the snus pouch and former head of research at Tobaksbolaget (Swedish Match).
Sting Free has developed a product that prevents the familiar stinging sensation on the gum from snus and nicotine pouch consumption, widening the pool of potential consumers for snus and pouches (also see “Patching the Pouch,” Tobacco Reporter, July 2017).
The technology is applicable to both snus and tobacco-free nicotine pouches and has already been successfully produced in prototype series with industrial and unmodified snus packaging machines. Swedish Match has signed a nonexclusive license agreement for the new technology and several other Nordic and foreign producers are expected to do the same soon.
“The capital injection from the ownership dispersion enables the company to requisition national patents in about 40 countries, including all countries in Europe, as well as a capital base for coming industrial production,” said Sting Free CEO and founder Bengt Wiberg in a statement.
“We are very happy that so many prominent people and companies have chosen to invest in Sting Free AB.”
Sting Free’s innovation can make it easier for many to switch to snus, as the burning sensation often constitutes an obstacle for smokers to convert to snus.
Curt Enzell, inventor of the snus pouch
“Sting Free AB’s innovation can make it easier for many to switch to snus, as the burning sensation often constitutes an obstacle for smokers to convert to snus,” says Enzell.
In a market survey with 660 male and female Swedish snus users, Sting Free found that 40 percent of the respondents dislike the stinging of snus. Only 11 percent of women and 17 percent of men enjoy the sensation. In empirical tests with adult nicotine users who had never tried snus or nicotine pouches before, nine out of 10 thought the burning sensation was unpleasant while an equally high proportion considered the identical contents in a Sting Free technology pouch to be enjoyable.
March 17, 2021
Rush Nicotine Pouch Hits U.S. Market

Photo: Crown Distributing
Rush non-tobacco oral nicotine pouches are now available in the United States through Crown Distributing, Global Tobacco and America Juice Co.
Manufactured under license through Alternative Nicotine Technologies, Rush is available in wintergreen, mint, citrus and cinnamon flavors. Consumers can pick between nicotine levels of 3 mg and 7 mg.
Mike Walters, vice president of sales at Crown Distribution, has high expectations for the new product. “Our initial consumer feedback tells us the Rush tobacco-free white nicotine pouches rate high on soft mouth feel, flavor impact and overall nicotine satisfaction when compared to other brands currently on the market,” he said in a statement.
Unlike other pouch brands that claim to be tobacco-free, Rush does not rely on tobacco-nicotine extracts or flavors, according to Crown Distribution. “We deliver on our promise that all of our ingredients are certifiable as non-tobacco,” says Walters. “This makes the Rush nicotine pouch the first true ‘tobacco-free’ nationwide brand roll-out in the modern oral nicotine pouch category.”
January 29, 2021
Bidi Vapor Enters Pouch Market

Photo: Bidi Vapor
Bidi Vapor will soon launch the Bidi Nicotine Pouch. Engineered to provide a premium smokeless nicotine experience to its users, the Bidi Pouch is made from a tobacco-free nicotine formulation.
The Bidi Pouch takes advantage of Bidi Vapor’s proprietary nicotine-delivery method on the heels of the growing popularity of the company’s premium vape pen, the Bidi Stick. Having established a strong wholesale-distribution network with its premium vape pen, the Bidi Stick will allow for immediate distribution of the Bidi Pouch through existing channels, Bidi Vapor wrote in a press statement.
Worldwide, the nicotine-pouch sector is projected to grow to $3.35 billion by 2025, up from $637.8 million in 2019, according to Market Study Report. The category has continued to explode recently, with New York-based Nielsen reporting an increase in unit sales of 498 percent in U.S. convenience stores over the 24 weeks ending May 30, 2020.
“We are excited to introduce the Bidi Pouch to adult consumers,” said Niraj Patel, CEO of Kaival Brands Innovations Group, which has an exclusive partnership and distribution deal with Bidi Vapor. “This is one of several initial steps we are taking towards our goal of providing improved products that are more sustainable.”
November 3, 2020
Virtual Conference for Snus Enthusiasts
This year’s Snus Con will take place virtually Oct. 19-24.
The event will feature pre-recorded interviews with an option for participants to interact.
Each video will be broadcast at a specific time via YouTube’s Premier feature. When the interviews go live, there will be a chat box available so visitors can watch along and chat with peers.
This year’s interviewees include Nihar Dholakia, director of next-generation products at Dholakia Tobacco; Bengt Wiberg of Wiberg Solutions and snus maker Conny Anderson.
October 16, 2020
BAT May Step Up Pouch Production in Hungary

Photo: János Bencs from Pixabay
British American Tobacco may expand production of nicotine pouches at its factory in Pecs, Hungary, reports the Budapest Business Journal, citing the state news wire MTI. The move would make the Pecs tobacco factory the biggest producer of pouches in the BAT group.
Under the plan, Pecs’ cigarette manufacturing operations would be moved to other factories within the group.
Part of a proposed restructuring of production in Pecs, the measure is expected to impact headcount, but details are still being negotiated with the Workersʼ Council and the union.
Increasing production of nicotine pouches, which contain no tobacco, fits well with BATʼs strategy to offer consumers a broader selection of potentially less harmful products.
BAT completed a HUF7.5 billion ($24.61 million) nicotine pouch plant at Pecs a year ago, raising headcount at the site by 100. Next year, production volume at the plant is expected to increase by a factor of 3.5.
In 2019, BAT’s Pecs factory reported net revenue of HUF151.2 billion. The company employs more than 900 people in Hungary.
October 13, 2020
Partnering for Synthetic Nicotine Pouches

Photo: Martinmark – Dreamstime.com
Next Generation Labs has entered an exclusive manufacturing arrangement with Dholakia Tobacco to produce synthetic non-tobacco nicotine moist white portion products for the modern oral nicotine (MON) pouch market.
Combining Next Generation Labs TFN synthetic nicotine technology with Dholokia’s expertise in the manufacturing of herbal non-tobacco smokeless portion pouch products, this new partnership offers new opportunities for alternatives to nicotine portion pouches containing tobacco-derived nicotine.
Under the terms of the agreement, Next Generation Labs and Dholakia are offering private-label development and manufacturing services to companies seeking to bring to market white portion pouch products that incorporate TFN tobacco-free synthetic nicotine in non-tobacco white portion pouch brands around the world.
“While many portion pouch brands claim to use tobacco-free nicotine, they are in fact exclusively using tobacco-derived nicotine, and are labeled and marketed with claims such as ‘tobacco-leaf free,’ ‘tobacco-dust free’ or ‘free of tobacco residuals’,” Next Generation Labs wrote in a press release.
“Almost all of these products continue to use nicotine extracted from the tobacco plant, and as such, they are not tobacco-free nicotine products,” the company wrote. “The TFN-based portion pouches made by Next Generation Labs and Dholakia can legitimately make the claim to be the only 100 percent tobacco-free nicotine pouches available to adult consumers today.”
As the global market for synthetic nicotine grows, Next Generation Labs and Dholakia anticipate significant market growth opportunities for TFN-based tobacco-free smokeless nicotine products.

October 13, 2020
Non-Tobacco Nicotine Pouch Debuts in U.S.
Photo: 20NE Labs
The 2ONE Labs’ tobacco-free nicotine (TFN) white portion pouch is now available on the U.S. market.
The product uses patented TFN nontobacco nicotine from Next Generation Labs and is the first 100 percent nontobacco-derived nicotine portion pouch available to consumers, according to 20NE Labs.
2ONE products are immediately available to distributors, wholesalers and retailers in nine flavors: very berry, eucalyptus rush, glacier mint, chocolate dream, ginger mint, strawberry lemonade, citrus chill, mocha java and pineapple mango. Products are available in 3 mg and 6 mg strengths.
2ONE cans contain 21 all-herbal TFN infused nicotine pouches meant for consumers aged 21 and over.
October 5, 2020
Swisher Consolidates Smokeless Portfolio
Swisher has consolidated its broad smokeless tobacco portfolio under Fat Lip Brands. With a mix of classic brands and modern-day favorites in moist snuff, chewing tobacco and dry snuff, the creation of Fat Lip Brands is part of Swisher’s efforts to align its businesses and brands to better serve its wholesale and retail customers as well as its adult consumers. Through this alignment, Fat Lip Brands will enhance its focus within the smokeless category and allow for more effective allocation of resources and customer service efforts, according to the company.
Fat Lip Brands is well positioned among Swisher’s five strategic businesses that also include Swisher Sweets Cigar Co. (large and little/filtered cigars), Drew Estate (premium cigars), Hempire (hemp accessories) and Rogue Holdings (modern oral nicotine). Each business provides focused category expertise and product knowledge under a renewed purpose for the broader company. Through Swisher’s strategic businesses, trade partners will have access to the growth strategies and product innovations that drive expanded success.
Based in Wheeling, West Virginia, USA, Fat Lip Brands brings a 141-year tradition in smokeless tobacco together under a one portfolio covering all customers’ needs in the moist snuff, chew and dry snuff categories. “With classic brands like Mail Pouch, Chattanooga Chew, Bowie, Navy and Railroad Mills offered alongside everyday best sellers like Kayak, Creek and Starr, Fat Lip Brands serves the modern lifestyle of adult consumers while staying grounded in a tradition of quality and affordability,” Swisher wrote in a press note.
October 2, 2020
Modern Oral Less Toxic Than Other Products

Emma Cheung (Photo: BAT)
British American Tobacco (BAT) has published a new study in Food and Chemical Toxicology showing that modern oral products (MOPs) elicit lower toxicity responses than traditional tobacco products.

Velo, one of BAT’s nicotine pouch products, was compared with a traditional cigarette as well as a Swedish-style snus pouch and found to be “less biologically active than cigarette smoke and snus, even at greater concentrations of nicotine, across a range of tests,” according to a company press release. “In many cases, Velo failed to elicit a biological response at all, supporting the view that MOPs are likely to be less risky than traditional cigarettes and Swedish-style snus for users who switch completely.”

“Velo was found to be less biologically active than cigarette smoke in certain assays, which is very encouraging,” said Emma Cheung, a preclinical scientist at BAT, in a statement. “This study helps to support the reduced-risk potential of MOPs. Our scientists will continue to build evidence to support our new category products.”
September 30, 2020