Do you smoke? Do you know where your tobacco comes from?

As over-the-counter prices have increased in the UK, the illicit cigarette market has grown. HM Revenue and Customs estimate that 10% of cigarettes and a staggering 40% of rolling tobacco came from illicit sources in 2013/2014. Smuggling, counterfeiting and bootlegging are all routes by which illicit cigarettes get into the UK market. Typically these illicit cigarettes are manufactured with low cost ingredients and no regard for official UK quality standards meaning that they pose an even greater risk to consumer health.

The FlavourSpec® is a fast and easy-to-use analytical tool that reliably characterizes cigarettes by headspace analysis based on their blend and characteristic aroma. Equally at home in the lab or in the field the FlavourSpec® automatically processes samples, acquires data and compares cigarette types allowing fast screening and identification of each type.

Applications:

• Identification of genuine/counterfeit cigarettes
• Quality control of ingredients
• Quality assurance of blend consistency

Advantages of FlavourSpec®

• Minimal sample preparation
• Reliable sample handling and sequencing
• Automated workflow
• Fast run-times: results typically in <10 minutes