FDA Approved Zyn Pouches Without Knowing What They’re Made Of
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- Christy Leppanen, an FDA toxicologist, tested Zyn pouches in her kitchen and found they did not dissolve as previously assumed, contradicting internal agency beliefs
- FDA authorized Zyn for sale in January 2025 after concluding the pouch material was unlikely to harm consumers, despite lacking detailed information on its composition
- Philip Morris International did not respond to inquiries about Zyn’s ingredients, though its website describes the pouches as made of cellulose without further detail
- FDA published a document falsely stating Leppanen had signed off on an environmental review; she was on leave at the time and had not approved it
- Danish researchers and a major UK retailer have found nicotine pouches are made of material similar to cigarette filters and are not fully biodegradable
- Eric Lindblom, former FDA policy director, said the agency has a legal obligation to evaluate every product component and called failure to scrutinize the pouch material potentially negligent
Why it matters: The FDA’s authorization of Zyn without full knowledge of its material composition risks public health and environmental safety, especially as microplastics research grows. If the agency skipped required scrutiny, it undermines its regulatory credibility and could enable unchecked approval of future nicotine products.
