• March 19, 2024

FDA targets ‘natural’ tobacco claims

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has warned Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Co. and ITG Brands that advertising traditional cigarette products as “additive free” or “natural” is in violation of federal regulations, reports The Winston-Salem Journal.

The warnings pertain to Santa Fe’s Natural American Spirit brand and ITG’s Winston brand. It is the first time the FDA has used its authority under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009 to target additive-free and natural tobacco product labeling.

The agency determined that marketing the cigarettes as additive free and natural “represents explicitly and/or implies” that the products offer a modified risk or are less harmful to consumers without having gotten FDA approval as a modified-risk product.

The agency said “failure to obey federal tobacco law may result in the FDA initiating further action, including, but not limited to, civil money penalties, criminal prosecution, seizure and/or injunction.”

The FDA said its authority supersedes that of a 2000 agreement between Santa Fe and the Federal Trade Commission in which Santa Fe agreed to include disclosures that “no additives in our tobacco does NOT mean safer.”

The manufacturers have 15 working days to respond to the warning and explain what actions they plan to take to remedy the violation, according to the FDA.