Effect of Sugar Content on Acetaldehyde Yield in Cigarette Smoke

Abstract

Abstract The relationship between cigarette blend sugar and acetaldehyde formed in its smoke is a matter of current regulatory interest. This paper provides a re-analysis of data from 83 European commercial cigarettes studied in the 1970s and more modern data on sugar levels and acetaldehyde yields from a series of 97 European commercial cigarettes containing both inherent sugar and in other cases inherent and added sugar. It also provides data from 65 experimental cigarette products made from single curing grades of tobacco, having a wide range of inherent sugar levels but no added sugar. This study has shown that there is no relationship between acetaldehyde yields and blend sugar content even if a multivariate analysis is carried out taking into account Nicotine Free Dry Particulate Matter (NFDPM) as a co-factor. Such analyses should take into consideration each of the known contributory factors in order to avoid misleading conclusions. No distinction was found between the mainstream acetaldehyde yields from dark air-cured, flue-cured or US blended style cigarettes irrespective of their sugar content after taking account of differences in NFDPM yields. Similarly, no distinction was found between mainstream acetaldehyde yields of cigarettes made from single grades of either flue-cured, sun-cured or air-cured tobaccos with no sugar added. This work supports the conclusion that structural material in the tobacco plant is the main source of acetaldehyde in mainstream smoke after combustion during cigarette smoking.