Snus Shelf Life
There are several factors that determine the shelf life of snus, including the water content. Lower moisture levels result to a longer lasting snus. The shelf life of moist snus is limited. You should not keep it at room temperature for over two weeks. However, dry portion snus last longer.
In general, it is recommended to refrigerate moist types of snus. This way, snus can last for a few more weeks. Freezing snus for a longer amount of time will allow you to enjoy your snus for at least a full year. Freeze your snus in a freezing bag to avoid it from drying out quickly.
Thaw your frozen snus in cardboard cans in a refrigerator. This will eliminate the condensed water and dissolve the glue in cardboard cans. You can thaw snus in plastic cans at room temperature as the cans are not too sensitive to the moisture outside.
Change of Storage
The changes that may happen when storing snus for a period of time include the same changes that are common for a lot of food items:
• Flavor changes because of ageing
• Drying out like water evaporation
• Growth of mold, bacteria, or other microorganisms
Drying can affect products that contain a high amount of water. It can be prevented by using water-tight packaging. Snus is high on water content, often between 50 and 60%. Minor water losses will not have much effect on consistency.
In Sweden, packaging of loose snus is done with cardboard cans that are paraffin coated. Under regular distribution conditions, it is sufficient to keep moisture in. Moist pouch products, however, are often more sensitive to drying out. They are thus ideally packed in plastic cans that are tighter.
Changes in Flavor
Flavor changes are characterized by the deterioration of the product’s aroma and taste. The aroma and taste may become stale. The changes are due to chemical reactions with the air’s oxygen. As mentioned snus is temperature-dependent. That is why it is recommended to keep your snus refrigerated for a longer stretches of time.
It is rare for snus to go bad because of microorganism growth. The process of pasteurization used during the manufacturing phases usually denatures the micro-flora that naturally comes from tobacco. Just like pasteurized milk, however, the process of pasteurization will not make the snus totally sterile.
When stored in warm conditions, there will be a small risk that bacteria will thrive. However, we haven’t found any signs of pathogenic bacteria in our snus.
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