Additives are incorporated to guarantee a consistently high-quality standard – and this is not a modern phenomenon.
In the 16th century, Spanish sailors added liquorice to tobacco as a preservative. Over the centuries, smaller quantities of other ingredients have also been mixed with the tobacco in order to:
- Control the humidity content
- Protect the tobacco against microbial degradation
- Act as a binder or filler.
Various ingredients similar to those found in foodstuffs are also added, so-called flavourings, in order to counterbalance the natural taste of tobacco. And to provide the various brands with their characteristic taste and aroma. These flavourings frequently replace the sugars lost during the drying process:
- Sugar
- Derivatives of natural herbs and spices (cocoa, liquorice, etc.)
- Essential oils
Sugar, cocoa and fruit extracts are added to a few tobacco blends. But this does not lead to a sweet, chocolatey or fruity taste when smoked. The tobacco blends of Landewyck still taste of tobacco and are not sweet. Nicotine is not mixed into the tobacco products as it occurs naturally in the tobacco plant.