The invention provides a process for preparing a tobacco composition suitable for use as a smokeless tobacco composition, including: providing a moist tobacco material; heating the moist tobacco to a temperature of at least about 85° C. for a time sufficient to pasteurize the tobacco material while maintaining the moisture content at a relatively constant level; adding an amount of a base and water to the moist tobacco material sufficient to raise the pH of the slurry to at least about 8.7 and raise the moisture content to at least about 40% by weight, thereby forming a pH-adjusted moist tobacco material; and continuing to heat the pH-adjusted moist tobacco material to a temperature of at least about 55° C. for a time sufficient for the pH of the moist tobacco material to drop to less than about 8.5 while maintaining the moisture content at a relatively constant level.