“What are the potential impacts of the chemicals used to make the synthetic nicotine that’s found in oral nicotine pouches like Zyn? Some brands don’t even seem to disclose what’s in their pouches.”
Synthetic nicotine is a form of nicotine that’s created in a laboratory and is not derived from tobacco leaves. It’s been around for quite some time but the tobacco industry has recently revived it due to an increased interest in new ‘tobacco-free’ products.
It can be produced as a liquid and used for vaping but we are also increasingly seeing it being used in oral nicotine pouches, in brands such as Zyns. Synthetic nicotine is added to marketed products in two forms—S-nicotine and R-nicotine. Unfortunately, scientists have not yet developed standard methodologies for the chemical analysis of synthetic nicotine, meaning it’s extremely difficult to establish what chemicals are being used in its production.
According to the labelling on these products, they contain a range of different chemicals. These are believed to have different roles including sweeteners, fillers, thickeners, preservatives, and stabilisers. A German study examined 48 different pouch types and found a total of 186 chemicals, with a mean of 17 chemical types per pouch. Many of these were not included on the labelling, with three of these being designated as possible causes of cancer.
In addition to the synthetic nicotine, most of these pouches contain a number of flavouring chemicals, e.g., cool mint, apple, etc. One study of five brands of nicotine pouches found a mean of 18 different flavouring chemicals per pouch. Another study found that some of the substances being used were not authorised to be used as flavouring due to health concerns.
Many of these products are promoted as being ‘tobacco-free’, suggesting they are safer than those products that use tobacco-derived nicotine. Research into the potential health risks associated with the use of synthetic nicotine is ongoing but the current lack of understanding as to what chemicals are contained in these products is of great concern.
First published: January 2025
