Skip to main content
Public Health
Expert opinion

Additives used in tobacco products (Opinion 1)

Final Opinion

Description

WG on Tobacco additives
SCENIHR members: Emanuela Testai (Chair and Rapporteur), Peter Hoet (Rapporteur), Konrad Rydzynski, Theo Vermeire
External experts: Urmila Nair, Reinskje Talhout
Contact: SANCO-C2-SCENIHRatec [dot] europa [dot] eu (SANCO-C2-SCENIHR[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)
On request from: European Commission
Doi:
Adopted on: 25 January 2016

Content of the opinion:

The main purpose of this scientific Opinion was to assist the Commission in identifying the additives that should be put on the priority list as foreseen by Article 6 of the Tobacco Products Directive 2014/40/EU (TPD), thus triggering additional reporting obligations by tobacco companies and even a potential ban.

The SCENIHR identified 48 single chemicals to be placed on this priority list. These compounds, including menthol, liquorice and caramel colours, were selected because they have or are suspected to have one or more of the following properties:

• toxicity in unburned form (including carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction)

• facilitating inhalation or increasing nicotine uptake, which may contribute to addictiveness

• characterising flavour, one of the factors potentially contributing to attractiveness

• formation of any kind of toxic chemicals after combustion

Six of the chemicals should be at the top of the list, according to the Scientific Committee: Titanium dioxide, maltol, diacetyl, geraniol, guaiacol and 2-furfural.

Keywords:

tobacco, addictiveness, additives, cigarettes, cigars, Roll-your-own, tobacco, smoking, toxicity, characterising flavour, facilitated inhalation, combustion products

Opinion to be cited as:

SCENIHR (Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks), Additives used in tobacco products, 25 January 2016.

Files

1 DECEMBER 2021
scenihr_o_051.pdf
English
(878.68 KB - PDF)
Download