CPC A24B 15/42 (2013.01) [A24B 15/26 (2013.01)] | 27 Claims |
1. A method of preparing a whitened tobacco material, comprising:
(i) extracting a tobacco material with a first extraction solution to provide a tobacco solids material and a tobacco extract;
(ii) cooking the tobacco solids material in an alkaline cooking liquid comprising sodium sulfide and having a pH of greater than 11 to form a tobacco pulp;
(iii) treating the tobacco pulp with an acid to lower the pH of the tobacco pulp and provide a neutralized tobacco pulp;
(iv) extracting the neutralized tobacco pulp with a second extraction solution comprising at least one chelating agent to provide an extracted tobacco pulp; and
(v) bleaching the extracted tobacco pulp with a bleaching solution to provide a whitened tobacco material.
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