Zyn pouches contain pharmaceutical-grade nicotine salt, pH-adjusting compounds, plant-based fillers, stabilizers, artificial sweeteners, and flavorings. There is no tobacco leaf, no smoke, and no vapor. Everything inside is classified as food-grade, though the nicotine itself is derived from the tobacco plant and the product is regulated as a tobacco product by the FDA.
Nicotine Salt: The Active Ingredient
The nicotine in Zyn comes in the form of nicotine bitartrate dihydrate, a nicotine salt. This is pharmaceutical-grade nicotine, meaning it’s been purified and standardized rather than left in its raw plant form. Zyn pouches are available in two strengths in the U.S.: 3 mg and 6 mg per pouch.
Despite containing no actual tobacco leaf, Zyn is still legally classified as a tobacco product because the nicotine originates from the tobacco plant. The FDA authorized 20 specific Zyn products for marketing in the U.S. after a scientific review, making them the first nicotine pouches to receive that authorization. That said, the FDA was explicit that authorization does not mean the products are safe.
pH Adjusters That Speed Up Absorption
Two of the most functionally important ingredients in Zyn are sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate. These are pH adjusters, and their role is not incidental. Nicotine absorbs through the lining of your mouth far more efficiently in an alkaline (higher pH) environment. These compounds raise the pH inside the pouch, converting nicotine from its salt form into freebase nicotine, which crosses cell membranes more readily. The result is faster, more complete nicotine delivery into your bloodstream. This is an engineered effect, designed to maximize how much nicotine your body actually takes in from each pouch.
Fillers and Stabilizers
The bulk of what you feel in a Zyn pouch is filler material. The main filler is microcrystalline cellulose, which is essentially refined wood pulp. It doesn’t dissolve well in saliva, and that’s the point. Because it resists dissolving, it slows the release of nicotine, giving you a steady delivery over time rather than a single burst. This controlled release means the pouch content stays mostly intact while you use it, rather than turning into a liquid in your mouth.
Other fillers include maltitol (a sugar alcohol) and gum arabic (a natural plant-derived gum used widely in food products). The stabilizer listed by Zyn is hydroxypropyl cellulose, another plant-based compound that helps maintain the consistency of the powder inside the pouch so it doesn’t clump or degrade.
Sweeteners and Flavorings
Zyn pouches contain artificial sweeteners, specifically acesulfame-K (often called ace-K), which is 200 to 700 times sweeter than table sugar depending on the formulation. A Duke University study found that ace-K was present in Zyn pouches at levels ranging from 0.3 to 0.9 mg per pouch. Notably, the sweetener was detected even in varieties labeled as unflavored.
Flavored varieties use additional food-grade flavoring compounds to create profiles like mint, citrus, cinnamon, and coffee. Zyn does not publicly disclose the exact flavoring chemicals, listing them simply as “flavorings” on their ingredient breakdown. The FDA also notes that nicotine pouches in general can contain preservatives and additional sweeteners like xylitol.
The Pouch Itself
The pouch material is made of synthetic fiber, not tobacco leaf or any plant-based wrapper. It’s designed to sit between your upper lip and gum, slowly releasing its contents as saliva moistens it. The combination of the slow-dissolving cellulose filler and the synthetic pouch fabric is what gives Zyn its gradual nicotine release profile, typically lasting 20 to 30 minutes per pouch.
How Zyn Compares on Harmful Compounds
One concern with any nicotine product derived from tobacco is the presence of tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs), which are carcinogenic compounds that form during tobacco processing. A study published in Tobacco Control measured TSNA levels across multiple nicotine pouch brands and found that most products, including Zyn, contained only trace amounts, often below the threshold where they could be reliably measured. The highest levels detected in any nicotine pouch were 13 nanograms of one TSNA and 5.4 nanograms of another per pouch.
For context, traditional snus pouches contain up to 1,190 nanograms of the same compounds per pouch, roughly 90 times higher. Cigarettes deliver between 33 and 323 nanograms per cigarette depending on the brand. Nicotine pouches like Zyn sit at the lowest end of this spectrum by a wide margin, though “lowest” is not the same as zero.
Full Ingredient Breakdown
- Nicotine bitartrate dihydrate: pharmaceutical-grade nicotine salt, 3 mg or 6 mg per pouch
- Microcrystalline cellulose: plant-derived filler that controls nicotine release
- Maltitol: sugar alcohol used as a filler and mild sweetener
- Gum arabic: natural plant gum used as a binding filler
- Hydroxypropyl cellulose: plant-based stabilizer that maintains powder consistency
- Sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate: pH adjusters that convert nicotine to its more absorbable freebase form
- Acesulfame-K: artificial sweetener present even in unflavored varieties
- Flavorings: food-grade compounds varying by flavor variety