TSNAs in Air-cured Tobacco
Task force Meeting Report
Coordinator: Dr. Gary Palmer, University of Kentucky, USA

The TSNA Task Force met on Tuesday October 5, 2004 from 9:00 - 10:00 am in room J of the Kyoto International Conference Hall during the 2004 CORESTA Congress.  Dr. Gary Palmer, University of Kentucky , Co-coordinator of the Task Force presided over the meeting.

Discussion was initiated regarding the status of Objective 3:  “Develop a collaborative study to investigate standard deviation for moisture content within farmer marketing packages among origins”.

It was determined that Objective 3 is not as relative to TSNA concerns as it was once considered and that Objective 3 should be dropped from further consideration.  Two new potential objectives were formulated by the group.

Objective 5:  To resolve sample handling of post cure tobacco for TSNA determination.

Marlene Adams, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco, was appointed chair and coordinator.  Her charge is to make contact with Elui Krugel, Coordinator of Sampling TASK Force to prevent duplicate effort, to make data available to the group regarding sample handling and to determine with the aid of other interested members of the TSNA task force if sampling guidelines should be developed.

Objective 6: To review the issues of post cure tobacco storage and ventilation parameters.

It was recommended that Stewart Livesay be asked to chair and coordinator this objective.

Objective 4:  Develop a collaborative study, which uses hobo loggers or a suitable substitute to collect curing conditions and possible impact of TSNA levels for tobaccos of diverse origins and curing environments. Attempt to standardize placement of equipment and sample protocols.

Chair and coordinator Christian de Roton, Altidis, ITB France.

Christian recommended a third year of study, but emphasized the need for more study sites due to a high location effect seen in previous studies.  Christian announced that he will retire on Dec. 15 of 2004; however, he agreed to develop changes in protocol for studies to be conducted in 2005 prior to his departure with assistance from Bruno Fontaine, Anitta , France .  Due to the close association between Christian and Bruno during the course of pursing Objective 4, Bruno was asked to become coordinator and chair of this objective upon the retirement of Christian.  A completion date of October 2006 is projected for Objective 4 with an appropriate report presented at the 2006 CORESTA Congress, in Paris , France .

Although the TSNA Task Force recommends that no standardized nornicotine screening protocol be adopted by the Scientific Commission as suggested in Objective 1:  "Develop a standardized nornicotine screening protocol so that baseline levels of nornicotine are comparable in tobacco seed varieties used by investigators", Anne Jack was asked to develop a procedural document containing reasonable guidelines for screening seeds to share with all concerned.

If it is determined by the TSNA Task Force that proposed Objectives 5 and 6 are worth pursuit and with approval from the Scientific Commission, protocols will be established to address these concerns.

Dr. Mark Nielsen, GenApps , USA , liaison for the TSNA Task Force, was asked to bring the idea of changing the TSNA Task Force to a Study Group before the Scientific Commission in January of 2005 since new areas of pursuit may continue to evolve.

Approval for the release of the grower survey developed by the TSNA Task Force is requested from the Scientific Commission.

A determination of the status of the TSNA Task Force will be made during the Agro/Phyto meeting in Santa Cruz do Sul , Brazil in October of 2005.

October 22, 2004