In its first such act since gaining tobacco regulatory authority five years ago, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued orders to stop the further sale and distribution of four tobacco products that are currently on the market.
Under the Family Protection and Tobacco Control Act passed in 2009, the FDA must review all tobacco product applications to determine whether the products are substantially equivalent to products that had already been on the market as of February 15, 2007, known as “predicate” products. If a company doesn’t provide the necessary information to show that their product is substantially equivalent to a predicate product, the FDA has the authority to declare a product not substantially equivalent, which means that it can no longer be sold or distributed in interstate commerce.
The products just banned by the FDA are:
- Sutra Bidis Red
- Sutra Bidis Menthol
- Sutra Bidis Red Cone
- Sutra Bidis Menthol Cone
Bidis are thin, hand-rolled cigarettes filled with tobacco and wrapped in leaves from a tendu tree that are tied with string.
