Agrochemicals
In order to obtain the highest overall quality raw materials, Swedish Match sources tobacco from a number of different regions. Our strict quality standard may therefore result in one can of snus containing tobacco from various parts of the world. The standard aims at achieving the lowest possible levels of undesirable substances, such as tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNA), which is an identified health risk.
This means that, when analysing Swedish Match products one could find comparatively more agrochemicals than one would find in, e.g. apples and pears, which always comes from a single producer. However, foods that come from a multitude of producers (e.g. raisins) contain a higher quantity of agrochemicals than Swedish Match products. From a quality perspective, it is the the total content and the content of individual agrochemicals which Swedish Match prioritizes, not the number. If, in the future, a scientific basis is established to set limits also for groups of pesticides, then Swedish Match will naturally follow. Research has yet discovered little about how agrochemicals interact, i.e. which ones are capable of reinforcing one another, or which may cancel one another out. This is a very complex area because there are several hundred agrochemicals that can be combined.
Snus produced by Swedish Match falls below the maximum levels for specific agrochemicals, as set by the trade association for GAP (Good Agricultural Practice) and is based upon the toxicology of care for the consumer. Several popular fruits and berries have significantly higher limits for agrochemicals than the concentrations found in snus. Swedish Match’s quality standard and internal limits assume that a normal snus user would be exposed to no more than a few percent of the total amount of agrochemicals allowed in a kilogram of grain, fruit and vegetables - which is the amount consumed by the average European per day, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
