Assessing Banned Menthol Characterizing Flavors in Cigarettes with GC–MS

Researchers conducted sensory testing and chemical analysis on a selection of 20 unburnt cigarette products notified for sale on the United Kingdom market to identify if the cigarettes contained a menthol-characterizing flavor. The selection of products analyzed included 16 “test” product cigarettes with a potential menthol-characterizing flavor, and four “reference” products, which were not expected to have a menthol flavor. The researchers conducted sensory testing among an untrained consumer panel of adults who smoked daily to see if they could smell a characterizing, or other non-tobacco, flavor; to perform chemical analysis to identify and quantify the levels of menthol, other minty flavors, and other flavoring additives in the same cigarette products; and to assess concordance between sensory and chemical assessments. Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) was the selected method for the clinical assessment. A paper based on the research was published in Nicotine & Tobacco Research (1).

Flavoring agents are added by cigarette manufacturers during production to alter the harsh and bitter taste of tobacco smoke to provide their customer base with something more pleasant and easier to inhale (2,3). Menthol is one of the most popular flavoring agents added to tobacco and is used primarily for its chemosensory effects, creating a cooling sensation, minty taste, and pleasant smell. Menthol activates the transient receptor potential melastatin member 8 (TRPM), responsible for its cooling, analgesic, and counter-irritant properties (4). By improving the taste of tobacco smoke and making it easier to inhale, menthol and other flavoring agents increase the appeal and reinforce smoking behavior, particularly among young people, promoting habitual use (2–6).

Before the UK’s menthol-characterizing flavor ban went into effect in May 2020, menthol cigarettes represented 21% of the UK market in 2018 (7).According to survey data, the prevalence of self-reported menthol cigarette smoking among adults in Great Britain declined from 16.2% (October–December 2020) to 13.7% (January–March 2023); among 18–24-year-olds, the prevalence declined from 25.7% to 19.4% in the same timeframe (8). Different surveys reported the prevalence of self-reported menthol smoking among 16- to 19-year-olds in England changing from 12.1% in February 2020 before the ban was implemented to 3.0% in August 2020 immediately after implementation (9) and 0.9% in August–September 2021 (10).

The Office for Health Inequalities and Disparities (OHID) is the United Kingdom’s appointed National Competent Authority that regulates tobacco products. The current study’s authors were commissioned by OHID to conduct sensory testing and chemical analysis on a selection of 20 unburnt cigarette products notified for sale on the UK market to identify if the cigarettes contained a menthol-characterizing flavor. An untrained consumer panel of 50 daily smokers was randomized to smell one of the two blocks of 10 unburnt cigarettes in duplicate for the assessment. Panel members then assessed the presence of 22 odor attributes, including menthol/mint. For each test and reference cigarette, proportions of assessments that identified the presence of a menthol/mint smell, as well as “fruity,” “confectionary,” and “non-tobacco” scents, were noted and compared, accounting for the within-participant duplicate testing. For each cigarette, the content of 34 flavoring chemicals (including 16 classified as “cooling” or “minty”) was analyzed using GC–MS (1).

While most cigarettes tested appeared compliant with the ban on menthol as a characterizing flavor, the research team’s findings are consistent with previous literature suggesting that some consumers are still reporting the use of menthol cigarettes after the ban came into force (8–10). Although the team believes their data shows that menthol remains present in some cigarettes at levels detectable by consumers—as supported by other reports (11)—the subjective nature of identifying “characterizing” odors or flavors complicates enforcement. By banning menthol, related minty flavorings, and other additives not necessary for the manufacturing of tobacco products outright, the findings may be less ambiguous for both regulators and manufacturers and more straightforward to evaluate and enforce (1).

Closeup of menthol cigarettes and mint leaves on gray background. © Hugnaka- stock.adobe.com

References

1. Robson, D.; Kyriakos, C. N.; McNeill, A.; et al. Menthol Characterizing Flavors in Cigarettes on Sale in England After a Characterizing Flavor Ban: Findings From Sensory and Chemical Assessments. Nicotine Tob. Res. 2025, ntaf064. DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntaf064

2. World Health Organization. Case Studies for Regulatory Approaches to Tobacco Products: Menthol in Tobacco Products. Geneva: WHO, 2018 (cited Jul 3, 2020)https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/case-studies-for-regulatory-approaches-to-tobacco-products-menthol-in-tobacco-products

3. Paschke, M.; Tkachenko, A.; Ackermann, K.; et al. Activation of the Cold-Receptor TRPM8 by Low Levels of Menthol in Tobacco Products. Toxicol. Lett. 2017, 271, 50–57. DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2017.02.020

4. Yerger, V. B.; McCandless, P. M. Menthol Sensory Qualities and Smoking Topography: A Review of Tobacco Industry Documents. Tob. Control 2011,20 (s2), ii37–43. DOI: 10.1136/tc.2010.041988

5. Kreslake J. M.; Wayne, G. F.; Connolly, G. N. The Menthol Smoker: Tobacco Industry Research on Consumer Sensory Perception of Menthol Cigarettes and Its Role in Smoking Behavior. Nicotine Tob. Res. 2008, 10 (4), 705–715. DOI: 10.1080/14622200801979134

6. Nonnemaker, J.; Hersey, J.; Homsi, G.; et al. Initiation with Menthol Cigarettes and Youth Smoking Uptake. Addiction 2013, 108 (1), 171–178. DOI: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2012.04045.x

7. Silver, K. K.; Hiscock, R. Tobacco Industry Tactics to Circumvent and Undermine the TPD Menthol Ban in the UK. Tob. Prev. Cessation 2020, 6(s). A29. DOI: 10.18332/tpc/128405

8. Buss, V. H., Tattan-Birch, H., Cox, S., et al. Smoking Prevalence and Purchasing of Menthol Cigarettes Since the Menthol Flavour Ban in Great Britain: A Population-Based Survey Between 2020 and 2023. Tob. Control 2024, 0, 1–9 DOI: 10.1136/tc-2023-058390

9. East, K. A.; Reid, J. L.; Burkhalter, R.; et al. Evaluating the Outcomes of the Menthol Cigarette Ban in England by Comparing Menthol Cigarette Smoking Among Youth in England, Canada, and the US, 2018-2020. JAMA Netw. Open. 2022, 5 (5), e2210029. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.10029

10. Kyriakos, C.; Filippidis, F. T.; East, K. A.; et al. Use of Menthol Cigarettes and Accessories Among Youth Who Smoked After the Menthol Cigarette Ban in England and Canada, 2021: Implications for Health Equity. Nicotine Tob. Res. 2024, 26 (s2), S133–S142. DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntad112

11. European Commission. Independent Advisory Panel on Characterising Flavours in Tobacco Products. Opinions Adopted by the IAP 2023. https://health.ec.europa.eu/tobacco/product-regulation/determination-characterising-flavours-tobacco-products/independent-advisory-panel-characterising-flavours-tobacco-products_en (accessed 2024-10-31).