Cigarette Ingredients

R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company's (R.J. Reynolds) use of cigarette ingredients is guided by the principle of achieving the desired taste characteristics by using the minimum amount of additives. R.J. Reynolds scientifically evaluates all proposed cigarette ingredients and does not - and will not - use any cigarette ingredient if scientific evaluations indicate that it will increase the inherent toxicity of tobacco smoke.

Tobacco additives have been used in cigarettes throughout the history of cigarette manufacturing. The majority of these ingredients are used to enhance the sensory aspects - including taste and aroma - associated with the smoke, facilitate tobacco processing and cigarette manufacturing, and preserve moisture levels in the finished cigarette.

Not all cigarettes use tobacco additives. Some smokers prefer cigarettes with no ingredients added to the blends, and R.J. Reynolds produces one brand that contains no-additive tobacco blends. Cigarettes without tobacco additives are not any safer than those with added ingredients.

However, the taste characteristics of many tobacco blends that smokers enjoy could not be achieved without adding ingredients to the tobacco. For example, roughly 30 percent of all cigarettes sold in the United States have menthol added to their blends.

Furthermore, the use of additives is essential to the manufacturers' ability to produce cigarette brands that are clearly differentiated from other brands from a taste standpoint.

As with any other consumer product, such as foods and beverages, the specific blend formulas for our brands (the recipes that include the exact amounts of every ingredient) are trade secrets, and we vigorously work to ensure that our competitors do not have access to our formulas.

Click here to view the full list of tobacco ingredients used in brands manufactured by R.J. Reynolds. This list also shows the maximum level of use of each ingredient in any brand.

Click here for a brand style-by-brand style list of the tobacco ingredients used in R.J. Reynolds' cigarette brands. While the commonly added ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, the ingredients that give each brand style its unique taste and aroma characteristics are grouped together under the title of natural and artificial flavors in order to protect trade secret formulas.