FDA issues warning letters to
The Food and Drug Administration issued warning letters to the makers of Winston, Natural Spirit and Nat Sherman cigarettes over their “additive-free” and “natural” label claims.
The FDA now requires any company seeking to claim that one tobacco product is less unsafe than another to prove it with scientific evidence.
Federal regulators on Thursday ordered three tobacco companies to cease claims that their cigarettes are “additive-free” or “natural”, saying they could mislead smokers into believing that the products are healthier than other cigarettes.
Mitch Zeller, director of the agency’s Center for Tobacco Products, has termed the action to be milestone.
On Monday roughly 30 health organizations, including the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Heart Association and the American Thoracic Society wrote to the FDA urging it to take action against Reynolds American Inc and its subsidiary, Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Co for the marketing of Natural American Spirit cigarettes.
Sherman’s 1400 Broadway N.Y.C. – for Nat Sherman cigarettes with the MTRP claim of “natural”.
The companies have 15 working days to respond to the warning letters and explain what they will do to correct the violations, or to challenge them.
The FDA took action under a key provision of the 2009 law that prohibits tobacco companies from making health claims without premarket FDA review and an FDA order allowing the claim. “The FDA’s warning sends a strong message to the tobacco industry that its long history of deception about the dangers of tobacco use will no longer be tolerated”.
Natural American Spirit is priced higher than other cigarettes because some of its cigarette styles use organic tobacco and additive-free blends that include only tobacco and water.
Of course, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids president Matthew Myers sounded off, “There is no question that terms such as “additive-free” and “natural” imply a safer cigarette, as confirmed by consumer research and the industry’s own documents”. From 2009 to 2014, U.S. sales of Natural American Spirit cigarettes soared by 86 percent, while overall sales of cigarettes declined 17 percent. ITG Brands believes that its products comply with all the applicable state and federal regulations. “This isn’t the tobacco industry’s first lie, and it won’t be its last, but right now, I’d like to thank the FDA for taking action on this critical public health issue”.