Made in Enköping: how Swedish Smokeless makes its pouches

From hand-selected crops to sealed, labelled cans: a look inside the plant behind White Fox, Siberia and HIT.

Every can DDG distributes starts in the same place: Enköping, a town west of Stockholm, where Swedish Smokeless has made smokeless products since 2004. The company, formerly known as GN Tobacco, distributes to more than 90 countries.

A plant run like a food factory

In Sweden, snus production is classified as food production, and the Enköping plant is GMP-certified. That framework shapes the whole process, from how raw materials are stored to how every batch is tested before it is packed.

Eight stages, from field to can

For traditional snus, including the Siberia chewbags, Swedish Smokeless follows what it calls the Swedish Original process:

1. Selection. Tobacco is hand-selected from farms the company knows, after a full year of growing and monitoring, for the right variety, taste, low sugar and high nicotine.
2. Inspection. Every batch is inspected visually and chemically in the laboratory.
3. Storage and drying at the GMP-certified plant.
4. Grinding. Leaves are sorted, cut or ground, and mixed with food-grade salt and water.
5. Thermal processing. The tobacco is baked under controlled conditions for a week.
6. Blending and flavours using natural oils, from mint to fruits and berries.
7. Testing of pH, moisture, appearance and weight.
8. Packaging. Pouches are packed and sealed by machine, and every can is labelled for the country it is shipped to.

Tobacco-free pouches such as White Fox and HIT are made to the Nikotek™ standard, which sets measurable targets for nicotine quality, moisture, pH, flavour and freshness. You can read more in our article on the Nikotek standard.

From Sweden to your shelf

DDG Distribution is the official partner for the UK, Canada and Africa. If you would like to stock products from Enköping, become a partner.

This article was first published by DDG Distribution, the official UK, Canada and Africa distributor of White Fox, Siberia and HIT. Republished with permission.