Tobacco Asia

38 tobaccoasia Issue 6, 2025 November / December Of course, rather than infusing shisha tobacco with actual perfumes, Bimar Project recreates perfume notes using food- grade chemical compounds. "We simulate specific scents by rebuilding them from food-safe molecules that can actually be heated," Zavalei explained. "Let's take 'Lost Cherry' by Tom Ford, for example. It took us several months of lab work and formulation to replicate the aromatic character of that legendary fragrance." The formulations use propylene glycol or dipropylene glycol as carriers, avoiding ethanol, which would evaporate or burn under heat. "You can't just spray perfume on shisha tobacco," Zavalei said. "Firstly, perfumes contain ethyl alcohol… and sec- ondly, under smoking conditions, the aromatic compounds be- have very differently. Instead of a refined sillage, you get soapy or harsh etheric notes that make smoking extremely unpleas- ant. Want to feel it for yourself? Try spraying your favorite fra- grance onto a hot shisha — you'll understand immediately what I mean." One of the greatest technical challenges was working with musk — a cornerstone of many perfume compositions. However, in shisha mixtures, traditional musk performs poorly. According to Zavalei, "it creates heavy, unappetizing off-notes because it wasn't intended for ingestion or heating." The main difficulty was either masking those undesirable tones or find- ing alternative molecules that could replicate the musk profile without distorting the taste during smoking. "After extensive research, we learned how to create flavor–aroma profiles that closely match the originals, while remaining pleasant and suit- able for shisha use," asserted Zavalei. The revolutionary shisha flavors emulate various internationally renowned brand fragrances. Credit: Thomas Schmid However, out of more than 200 tested perfume profiles, eventually only 10 proved suitable for shisha use. Among them is "Tobacco Vanille," so named after another Tom Ford fra- grance. "Instead of using natural tobacco leaf extract, as in the original perfume, we recreated its perfumed scent using differ- ent compounds," Zavalei explained. The ultimate goal of Bimar Project's "Tobacco Vanille" shisha flavor is "to bring a new and wholly different experience to shisha consumers, something to discover and become excited about," enthused Zavalei. The Belarusian firm's approach not only broadens the sensory palette of shisha but also introduces a new level of sophistication to flavor development that should appeal to consumers seeking novelty and refinement. More at: bimar-project.com RELX International, China: AirPouch™ and Waka RELX International introduced its latest innovation in nicotine delivery: AirPouch, a technology deployed in the company's lat- est nicotine pouch brand, RELX, touted as the world's thin- nest nicotine pouch. "Each pouch is less than 1mm thick," said Vicky Fu, lead of global product portfolio strategy & modern oral business. "It's revolutionary." The ultra-thin design offers multiple benefits. "You won't feel the pouch as you would a regular-size pouch when you put it between your cheeks and gums," Vicky explained. "It won't create a bulge." The thinness also accelerates nicotine absorp- tion. "The nicotine effect will onset 2 times faster than with a regular pouch," she claimed. "The taste is cleaner and also there will be less gum pain." Each pouch is shaped like a tree leaf, symbolizing green sustainability. "Different sizes mean different nicotine strengths," Vicky noted. "The small leaf-sized pouch contains 3mg of nicotine, the medium sized one has 6mg, but we can manufacture the full range, from 3mg up to around 16 mg." RELX International showcased its AirPouch for the first time at InterTabac 2025. "We hope to get it into EU markets," Vicky said. The product represents a strategic shift for RELX International. RELX International offers an eclectic mix of pouch brands. Credit: Thomas Schmid

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