Cocoa

This article is part of the Tobacco portal on Sourcewatch funded from 2006 - 2009 by the American Legacy Foundation.

Cocoa is widely used as a casing material, added to tobacco blends for products which are both burned and not burned (e.g., chewing tobacco). Cocoa is a natural substance derived from cocoa beans, and is approved for use in every country that regulates additives to tobacco products. These include Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, the Slovak Republic, Spain, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Cocoa, cocoa shells, extract, distillate and powder are listed on the United States (U .S .)List of 599 Cigarettes Ingredients published in April, 1994.

R.J. Reynolds conducted pyrolysis studies on 16 samples of food-grade cocoa powders purchased from around the world and found that major volatile compounds detected in these studies (at 700 °C), not necessarily as result of pyrolysis, included theobromine, caffeine, other organic nitrogen compounds, hydrocarbons,and acids.

In an 18-month mouse skin painting study conducted by the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI), cigarette smoke condensate from cigarettes containing 1.0% cocoa powder displayed a higher incidence of total tumors (benign 4 malignant) at the low (12.5 mg)and high (25.0 mg) dose levels compared to control cigarette smoke condensate containing 0%cocoa powder. (NCI, U.S. Department of Health, Education & Welfare,Publication No.77-1280, 1977). <tdo>search_term=cocoa</tdo>

Cocoa, when burned, produced theobromine, a chemical that facilitates bronchodilation (opening of the airways).[1]