New UK Standard for Pouch Strength Confirms Haypp’s Vision

• The UK has adopted a new nicotine pouch strength standard
• The voluntary limit follows Sweden’s 20mg strength cap
• Haypp led the market early with its own 20mg strength limit
• Haypp also tests products via independent lab testing
• Strength standards help boost transparency and trust

Many are aware that a new Tobacco and Vapes Bill is currently being drafted, but few know that the UK has recently taken another important step towards greater product safety for tobacco-free nicotine pouches.

This has been achieved by introducing a standard inspired by the Swedish model.

The Swedish standard has long been regarded as a benchmark for clear guidelines and consumer protection – and now Britain is following suit to create a more harmonised and responsible market.

Maria Svelander, Senior Legal Counsel at Haypp, is one of the people behind the Swedish standard for nicotine pouches – the first of its kind in the world.

This standard, like the new British version, sets a cap of 20 mg of nicotine per pouch.

Maria explains:

“Having a standard is essential for consumer safety. It creates clear guidelines for the industry, reduces the risk of extreme nicotine levels, and makes the market more transparent.

It’s about putting the consumer at the centre and building trust. Selling extremely high nicotine levels above 20 mg per pouch is not compatible with that goal.”

The cap of 20 mg of nicotine per pouch corresponds roughly to the nicotine dose delivered by a cigarette during the time it takes to smoke it.

This is based on scientific studies and the historical use of Swedish snus.

The industry uses mg per pouch as the unit of measurement, not mg per gram, because pouch size is what matters to the consumer.

The Swedish standard has recently served as a model for the development of a British standard through the British Standards Institution (BSI).

This is a clear sign that the industry is moving towards harmonisation and responsibility – something Haypp has long advocated.

Maria says:

“In Sweden, we wanted to ensure that white snus was comparable to traditional snus from a harm-reduction perspective. For the British, it was mostly about avoiding extreme nicotine levels."

"It is of course important for the consumer to know what they are putting in their mouth.

Among less reputable actors, the difference between what is stated on the can and the actual content can be significant.

The nicotine level can be both higher and lower than the stated figure. That in itself is worrying, but it also raises questions about what else might be mislabelled and whether there are other contaminants in the pouch.”

The EU is currently discussing common rules, including minimum taxes and potential nicotine limits.

Extremely strong nicotine pouches, sometimes with up to 50 mg of nicotine per pouch, have become increasingly common in Europe.

However, Haypp has chosen a different path. We do not believe that higher strength provides a better experience – on the contrary, it can create uncertainty about content and health.

That is why we follow the recommended limit of 20 mg per pouch and actively work to promote this practice, according to Maria:

“Haypp stands for responsible sales with age verification and high product quality. And that is why we naturally want to help create a safer industry.”

The British standard, inspired by the Swedish model, is like the original – a voluntary technical specification used as industry practice, as a reference point in regulatory discussions and often cited in dialogue with authorities.

In the UK, additional regulations on labelling, product notification and age limits are now being discussed, in line with Swedish legislation that has regulated tobacco-free nicotine products since 2022.

All products sold via Haypp are regularly tested by the independent laboratory Eurofins.

We check, among other things, nicotine content and pH value, and the results of the lab reports are published openly on our platform Nicoleaks.com.

Transparency is a given for us – and a promise to our customers.