mg/g or mg per Pouch? Which Nicotine Number Counts

Look at a can of Iceberg, Pablo or Cuba and you will see a big number: 50, 66, 70. Look at a can of VELO or ZYN and the number is 6, 10 or 14. They are not measuring the same thing. One is nicotine per gram of filling, the other is nicotine in one pouch, and mixing them up is an easy mistake to make when you compare strength.

Last updated: October 2026

The can number vs the pouch number

The table below takes eight pouches we sell and puts the number printed on the can next to the nicotine in one pouch. The pouch weight is what connects the two.

What mg/g means

mg/g is milligrams of nicotine per gram of pouch content. It describes the filling, like the alcohol percentage on a bottle: it tells you how concentrated it is, not how much you get in one serving. Swedish snus has been labelled this way for a long time, and many of the strongest pouch brands, including Iceberg, Pablo Exclusive, FEDRS, Cuba and Killa, print mg/g on the can and in the product name. That is why a can can say 70 or 75 and still hold less than 60 mg in each pouch.

What mg per pouch means

mg per pouch is the total nicotine in one pouch, the one you actually put under your lip. Brands such as VELO, ZYN, Clew, LUMI and 77 give their strength this way. It is the only number that lets you compare two brands directly, because it does not depend on how big or heavy the pouch is. How much of that nicotine your body takes up is a separate question, covered in our guide to how much nicotine gets absorbed from a pouch.

How to convert mg/g to mg per pouch

You need two things from the can: the net weight and the number of pouches.

1. Find the weight of one pouch. Divide the can weight by the number of pouches. A 13 g can of Cuba Black with 20 pouches gives 0.65 g per pouch.
2. Multiply by the mg/g figure. 0.65 g times 66 mg/g is 42.9, so about 43 mg per pouch.

If the can only gives mg per pouch, you can work backwards the same way: divide the mg per pouch by the pouch weight to get mg/g. You rarely need to, because mg per pouch is already the number to compare.

Why the bigger number is not always the stronger pouch

Heavier pouches hold more

Iceberg Sweet Mint Ultra says 70 on the can and FEDRS BLACK Freeze Mint says 75, so the FEDRS looks stronger. Per pouch it is the other way round: the Iceberg pouch weighs about 0.8 g and holds about 56 mg, while the FEDRS pouch weighs about 0.65 g and holds about 48.8 mg. Judged by the can, you would pick the wrong one.

The same works at the gentle end

Kelly White Cool Mint Slim Strong has 15 mg/g and VELO Crispy Peppermint 14 mg/g, so the Kelly White looks slightly stronger. But the Kelly White pouch is lighter, about 0.53 g against 0.7 g, so it holds 8 mg per pouch against the VELO's 10 mg. Two numbers that look almost the same lead to a 2 mg difference in the pouch.

Our article on why a nicotine pouch can feel weaker covers the other side of this: moisture, pH and how long you keep the pouch in also change how strong it feels.

How we show strength on PouchSpot

Because the number on the can means different things from brand to brand, we put nicotine per pouch on our product pages, next to the maker's own figure. On each product page you will find:

• The page title, for example "Cuba Black Apple Juice | 43 mg/pouch".
• The facts table, with nicotine per pouch, nicotine per gram, the pouch weight and the number of pouches in the can.
• A "How strong is it?" line, telling you how the pouch compares with the rest of our range.
• Our strength level, based on mg per pouch only.

Product names stay as the brands write them, so you will still see names like Iceberg Green Apple 50mg. That 50 is mg/g; the facts table tells you it is about 40 mg per pouch. Our strength levels work like this:

For a single view of every brand on the same scale, see our Nicotine Pouch Strength Index and the strength guide. If you are after the top end, our list of the strongest nicotine pouches ranks them by mg per pouch too.

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Frequently asked questions

What does mg/g mean on a snus can?

mg/g means milligrams of nicotine per gram of pouch content. It describes how concentrated the filling is, not how much nicotine one pouch holds. To get the amount in one pouch, multiply the mg/g figure by the weight of one pouch in grams.

Is 50 mg/g the same as 50 mg per pouch?

No. A pouch weighs less than a gram, so a can labelled 50 mg/g holds less than 50 mg in each pouch. Iceberg Green Apple, labelled 50 mg/g, has about 40 mg per pouch because each pouch weighs about 0.8 g.

How do I convert mg/g to mg per pouch?

Divide the can weight by the number of pouches to get the weight of one pouch, then multiply that by the mg/g figure. A 13 g can of Cuba Black with 20 pouches gives 0.65 g per pouch, and 0.65 times 66 mg/g is about 43 mg per pouch.

Which is stronger, a 70 mg/g pouch or a 75 mg/g pouch?

Not necessarily the 75. Iceberg Sweet Mint Ultra is labelled 70 mg/g and FEDRS BLACK Freeze Mint 75 mg/g, but the Iceberg pouch is heavier, so it holds about 56 mg per pouch against about 48.8 mg for the FEDRS. Compare the mg per pouch, not the number on the can.

Why do some brands print mg/g on the can?

Swedish snus has long been labelled per gram, and many strong brands follow that habit. It also produces larger numbers than the per pouch figure. Brands such as VELO and ZYN print mg per pouch instead, which is why a 10 mg VELO and a 50 mg Pablo are not on the same scale.

Where can I see the mg per pouch on PouchSpot?

On the product page: in the facts table next to the mg/g figure and the pouch weight, in the line that tells you how the pouch compares with the rest of our range, and in most page titles. Our Strength Index lists every brand on the same per pouch scale.

Sources: PouchSpot product data (nicotine per pouch, nicotine per gram, can weight and pouch count from the makers' can labels and our supplier's catalogue), October 2026. This article is general information, not medical advice.