Cleared for TPD testing

Essentra’s Scientific Services facility in the U.K. has been approved as a provider of Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) testing.

The Jarrow-based laboratory is among 14 other facilities that have been commissioned by government agencies for the annual testing of all cigarette brands to the EU TPD’s requirements.

The EU TPD, which became applicable to member states on 20 May 2016, governs the manufacture, presentation, sale and advertising of tobacco and related products. It states that nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide yields must be tested in independent and ISO-recognized laboratories.

“We are delighted to be named as one of the EU’s approved labs for TPD testing, and I am proud of the significant work the team has undertaken which has contributed to this appointment,” said Mike Taylor, Essentra’s director of scientific development.

“Essentra Scientific Services was one of the first laboratories in the world to be accredited for testing tobacco products both to ISO 17025 and UKAS standards, and this additional recognition underlines our ongoing commitment to the industry.”

Essentra Scientific Services was established to conduct internal testing and R&D for Essentra’s Filter Products division, and is located near the site of the original cigarette filter factory which was founded in 1948.

Recent growth has seen the laboratory expand as a commercial venture testing combustible products, ignition propensity, tobacco, and vaping products for manufacturers around the globe.

Internal company support continues, with the laboratory additionally using its extensive scientific experience to provide analysis and technical knowledge to Essentra’s e-cigarette offering, where manufacturing has recently been relocated to the company’s site in Greensboro, North Carolina, USA.