Jürgen Bahr of Borgwaldt and Todor Abadjiev from Trakia Tabac in Bulgaria examine tobacco leaf between tasting sessions

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3/2014 � TOBACCO JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL 37

T he ITTA provides expert evalu-ation of cigarettes and fermented tobacco products. It's a not-for-

profit association that awards excel-lence and holds participating tobacco companies not as entrants, but associ-ation members. It thus forms a com-munity dedicated to high standards of production, networking, and connect-ing producers of raw materials. The ITTA held its inaugural meeting on the picturesque shores of Lake Ohrid, Macedonia from 3–6 June. But don't be fooled, this association has a rich history of more than 50 years, with 49 meetings having taken place under the umbrella of the Skopje Fair since 1962. The Bal-kan states have a rich tobacco-growing tradition and this event benefits from a

number of long established networks and institutions. What has been one of the tobacco industry's best kept secrets is now out. The ITTA is now an inter-national, annual event. Entries are open to producers of fermented tobacco, ci-garettes and RYO, worldwide. It has a new name and new ambitions but the idea remains the same – the testing and grading of anonymously-submitted to-bacco products by an unbiased panel of experts. Present were over 30 tobacco and ciga-rette companies from all over Europe, including Cyprus, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Greece, Germany, Italy, Serbia, Mon-tenegro, Kosovo, and also Turkey. Some of the institutions involved included the Scientific Institute for Tobacco Prilep,

Macedonia, and the Tobacco and To-bacco Products Institute- Markovo in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

The tasting process

So how does it work? The ITTA invites suppliers of fermented tobacco and pro-ducers of cigarettes and RYO tobacco to submit unbranded product samples to the ITTA Central Committee. Product samples are then divided into either the fermented tobacco or cigarette cat-egories. They are given an identification number and, from this point on, remain anonymous entrants. The tasting sessions are the backbone of this event and they take place over a

Putting tobacco to the test

A celebration of the highest standards of quality, flavour, and production within the tobacco indus-

try, the International Tobacco Tasting Association (ITTA) also aims to further the tradition and

knowledge relating to the tasting and grading of tobacco products. Al

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Fermented tobaccos are submitted to three different sets of grading. Firstly, samples are analysed at the Scientific Institute for Tobacco in Prilep where nicotine, sugar, and protein le-vels are ascertained. Samples are then made available as raw tobacco leaf for organoleptic analysis and as unbranded sticks for smoking. Tasters are given two sticks per sample. One is lit and left to burn in an ashtray while the other is smoked by the taster. A verified set of “keys” provide the criteria to which tasters then provide grades. As a summary, these keys include qualities relating to irritation, taste, aroma, intensity, strength, combustion, and ash characteristics. It should be observed

that here, tasters are smok-ing a single, unblended to-bacco; a cigarette that could never be bought over the counter. After the sticks are smoked, tasters then examine the cor-responding leaf in packed form. It’s important that this step occurs in daylight and samples are laid out over a series of tables out-doors. Outward aspects of size, shape, colour, and technical development, provide the organoleptic grades. This is where the tasters have a hands-on ex-perience of the different tobaccos and it’s remark-able to see what can be gar-nered from a humble to-bacco leaf. Evaluation of the cigarettes is a little different. Brand-ing is carefully removed from the sticks and RYO to-bacco is taken from its pouch. All measures are taken to ensure that the ci-garettes are as they would be when taken directly from the pack by a con-sumer, minus the brand-ing. Tasting and observ-ation of the qualities of the burn are the main criteria for grading the cigarettes. As with the fermented to-bacco, one stick is allowed to burn unhindered and an-other is lit and smoked. A detailed list of properties relating to irritation, aroma, combustion, fla-vour, strength, and ash are observed and marked down. While there is no or-

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period relative to the number of entries. This year it was a series of four tasting sessions taking place over two days. But first the Central Committee holds a meeting with all tasters to initiate the year’s proceedings and to go over judging criteria. Tasters are then divided into groups. Although the members of each group sit separately, they will each be grading the same sample at any given time, while the other tasting groups will be grading different product samples. Fermented to-bacco will be graded first, followed by RYO and cigarettes. The latter are differentiated as either ventilated or unventi-lated products.

ganoleptic grading of the cigarettes, per se, tasters are wel-come to break open extra sticks in order to examine the to-bacco blend within. Another difference here is that fer-mented tobacco samples have been rolled into generic sticks, while the cigarette samples provide their own idiosyncratic aspects in terms of the filter, papers, and other inherent pro-duction qualities that influence the tasters’ grades. So, to paint this picture with a finer brush, all of this is taking place in a large, open room in an Ohrid hotel, complete with natural light and expansive views over one of Europe’s oldest, deepest lakes. The three tasting groups, each comprising four tasters, sit in a row and make their grades accord-ing to the points of con-duct. Each group is over-seen by a “manager” whose job it is to ensure that the work of the tasters can be undertaken in the best possible circum-stances. These managers also collect and organise the scores for each of the samples, provide refresh-ments, and empty the tasters’ ashtrays. They re-cord the grades for each sample and feed them back to the Central Committee which sits together at one end of the room. There are a number of rules to be observed, all of which tell us just how strict and well developed this grading process is. There is no interaction per-mitted amongst the tasting groups, or the individual tasters themselves. Some communication is allowed within the groups, how-ever, if it’s to the benefit of the tasting or examination process. But largely it’s very quiet. If a taster’s grade for any certain as-pect of an individual sample is either two points above or below the aver-age of his fellow group members, this particular number will not be taken into account. Steps like this ensure cohesion among the groups with the assumption that any drastic variance in grading must be either a mistake or

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3/2014 � TOBACCO JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL 39

due to a loss of concentration by the particular taster. It's worth noting that this is uncommon and did not, for example, occur during the 2014 sessions. Refreshments are served be-tween samples and the offering is homogenous to ensure a similar palate. Sugars are helpful, fresh fruits are on offer, bottles of fruit drinks and cool spring water are set on the tables. This is a serious event with a scientific, scholarly, feel and all measures are taken to ensure the most accurate out-come. Entries will receive either a gold, silver, or bronze ITTA award based on the overall grade. �

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40 TOBACCO JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL � 3/2014

A room of experts

The foundation of the ITTA is the exper-tise and level of tobacco industry experi-ence that’s present. The Central Commit-tee is headed by president Vojo Po-povski. Popovski has been part of the event for the last 28 years and has been working in the tobacco industry since 1955. He has a wealth of knowledge and shares it at will. For example, he told this reporter that “salty and sweeter tastes can be felt best at the tip of ones tongue; acidic tastes best on the sides and bitter aspects at the root.” He also said that “a real smoker inhales all the way to the feet.” Other current Committee members include Prof. Dr Marija Srbinos-ka from the Department of tobacco, to-bacco smoke, pesticide residue and bio-chemistry at the Scientific Tobacco Insti-

tute of Prilep; and Zlatko Kapetanovic, head of product development at Borg-waldt Flavor GmbH in Hamburg. These, and a number of tobacco experts from other fields, bring their particular input and knowledge of various markets and industry branches, literally, to the table. But without the hard work and input of the tasters, none of this could take place. In the past, more than 126 tasters have helped to make this event what it is today. They are typically specialists in blends, flavours and technologies, but also chemists, heads of sales and produc-tion, always with a strong tasting back-ground. Participating companies are eli-gible to nominate one or more profes-sional tasters from their own ranks to be considered for the tasting body. This means that the number of tasters is relative to the number of tobacco pro-

ducts under consideration. It also means that participating companies are ex-tended the opportunity to contribute. The author finds this to be a particularly strong aspect because it effectively cre-ates a structure of peer review. Tasters this year included Jürgen Bahr, director of sales at Borgwaldt Flavor, and Associ-ate Prof. Dr Stefka Kirkova- Hadjinikolau, director of the Tobacco and Tobacco Products Institute Markovo, Plovdiv. “It’s a very demanding job,” said Filip Kit-anovski, president of the ITTA associ-ation, “but they’re professionals. For them, it’s like an intensive seminar.” There is a sense of tradition here, with knowledge related to tobacco tasting having been accumulated over many years of professional experience. One of the goals of the ITTA, says Milorad Kitanovski, director of the organising committee of the ITTA, is that com-panies entering products are not really competitors, but members of the associ-ation. “We place an emphasis on this as-pect”, he said. “This is a not-for-profit or-ganisation and we ask companies to contribute their products but also their expertise so that they can help us to give something back to the industry.” Traditions of tobacco tasting are under threat as anti-smoking regulations en-croach on the industry from all fronts. “There is a need to carry these traditions on,” says Kitanovski, “and we have thought about creating an environment where this knowledge can be furthered but also passed on. In the future partici-pating companies could nominate tast-ing mentors to ensure that the expertise remains intact.”

The ITTA 2014

Gold medal winners for ITTA 2014 were Tvornica Duhana Rovinj with the brands York and Ronhill; Fabrika Duha-na Sarajevo with the brands Aura and Code; Tvornica Duhana Udbine with their Zlatni duhan RYO tobacco; To-bacco Company JSC Podgorica with its brand Philadelphia; and Tobacco Com-pany JSC Prilep with its brands Brand, Rondo and Filter Oriental. Awards for this year’s event will be given at Inter-tabac in Dortmund from 19 –21 September. The decision for this to take place in Dortmund is symbolic of the fu-

Vojo Popovski (centre) and Milorad Kitanovski (right) initiate 2014's proceedings

Unmarked sticks of fermented tobacco are given to a taster

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SEE YOU NEXT AT INTER-TABAC - DORTMUND

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42 TOBACCO JOURNAL INTERNATIONAL � 3/2014

ture shape and ambition of this event. “We want to make this a truly inter-national event,” says organiser Milorad Kitanovski. “We have the history and the expertise behind us. This has been going on for many years here in Macedonia and now would like to bring it to the world. We have a new direction and a new vi-sion to make this event all that it can be. This is the only event of its kind and it's truly unique.” “The best thing to gain from this event”, says committee president Vojo Po-povski, is the exchange of experience and networking. When we get together and evaluate products we can compare them, we see their flaws. There are al-ways flaws even in the best products, but we aim to make them better. Tasters are the key to this and the tasting pro-cess is very important. I would say that there’s no such thing as a bad tobacco,” Popovski commented, “but the human element can always be improved.”

J.N. Booth Tasters at work: Ranko Popadic (left), a tobacco expert from Fabrika Duhana Saraje-vo, BiH; and Kiril Nuneski from Tutunski Kombinat Prilep, Macedonia