The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has almost completed its review of tobacco products sold in the US, having refused 200,000 products and authorised only three, reports Bloomberg.

After receiving thousands of applications for the marketing authorization of new tobacco products, the FDA is coming to the end of its review. According to the director of the agency’s Center for Tobacco Products, Mitch Zeller, the FDA has already refused to allow 200,000 products to continue being sold and has so far only authorised three, reports Bloomberg. 80,000 products are still pending and the agency is being sued for 46 of the refusals.
Zeller mentioned that some companies were using synthetic nicotine to get around the FDA’s authority. The agency can regulate tobacco products but when it comes to synthetic nicotine, the regulations are not quite as clear. “It’s getting harder to tell the lab-made nicotine from the plant-derived version of it, and the agency is investigating the issue,” Zeller said. He also added that the FDA is talking to Congress about a potential legislative fix, reports Bloomberg.
Popular vape brand Juul Labs Inc. is still awaiting the verdict on its products along with many e-cigarette producers whose products contain menthol. The FDA has not year made its position on menthol in e-cigarettes clear and according to Zeller will review menthol products on a case-by-case basis.