Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/1541387
40 tobaccoasia Issue 6, 2025 November / December "We wanted to create not just another product, but a new experience — something that breaks away from the mainstream and redefines what mod- ern consumers can expect from this category," Vicky explained. "That's how AirPouch was born." With its discreet profile and rapid onset, RELX is poised to redefine user expectations in the modern oral nicotine category. "It's their amazing thinness," Fu emphasized again. "That's the point." RELX International's in- novation signals a new chapter in pouch design, one that prioritizes comfort, speed, and aesthetic appeal. More at: relxtech.com Honorable Mention: Yunshan Biotechnology Co. Ltd., China: injectable crush beads Injectable crush capsules—also known as burst beads—were among the more playful innovations showcased at InterTabac 2025, courtesy of Yunshan Biotechnology Co. Ltd. These tiny flavor capsules are designed to be injected into cigarette filters, allowing smokers to customize each stick with a flavor of their choice. "Our burst beads are basically the same as a flavor capsule embedded in a capsule filter," explained Grace Ying, Export Sales Manager. "You crush [it] prior to lighting your cigarette in order to release the flavor liquid inside." With approximately 100 flavors available, the product caters to a wide range of consumer preferences—from fruity and minty to more exotic pro- files. "A standard cigarette pack typically contains 20 sticks," Ying noted. "And if you want to, you can infuse each of these 20 sticks with a different flavor, one after another." The Chinese firm's burst beads are not new. They have been around for a number of years by now. Yet Tobacco Asia deemed the very concept interesting enough to add it in this article as an honorable mention. After all, with flavored cigarettes being phased out in retail in increasingly more countries, the bead offer an opportunity to consumers who still like to enjoy their smokes in a variety of flavors. "We have been in the market… for quite a few years already," Ying confirmed, citing Germany and France among the company's active territories. The product's appeal also lies in its simplicity and the sense of personal- ization it offers. "It's a fun product," Ying added. "And it gives consumers the freedom to mold their smoking experience in a way that wasn't possible before." More at: yunshangshengwu.com RELX pouches are less than 1mm thick. Credit: RELX International Yunshan Biotechnology's export sales manager Grace Ying says her company's flavored crush beads have a strong following especially in Europe. Credit: Thomas Schmid Bottles of crush beads with an injector-dispenser (left). The company also offers ready-made filter pieces to put over cigarettes and which likewise contain flavor beads. Credit: Thomas Schmid Fertile grounds InterTabac 2025 once again proved fertile ground for innovation, with exhibitors pushing boundar- ies in safety, flavors, and user experience. Whether through child-resistant packaging, dual-function heating devices, perfume-inspired shisha flavors, ultra-thin nicotine pouches, or customizable flavor capsules, the industry continues to evolve in re- sponse to consumer demand while simultaneously showing regulatory foresight. The products high- lighted here only offered a brief glimpse into the future of tobacco and nicotine and the creativity driving it forward.