As of mid-2026, the FDA had authorized approximately 45+ individually authorized e-cigarette products through the PMTA (Premarket Tobacco Product Application) pathway. The PMTA process requires manufacturers to submit detailed information about ingredients, manufacturing processes, and health effects. However, public availability of detailed ingredient lists varies — flavorings are often listed under general categories rather than as individual chemical compounds.
Flavor Authorization: A Moving Target
The FDA has not enacted a blanket ban on e-liquid flavors. The regulatory framework is authorization-based:
- May 2026: FDA authorized four flavored ENDS from Glas Inc., including menthol, Gold (mango), and Sapphire (blueberry) — the first authorization of non-tobacco, non-menthol ENDS products.
- March 2026: FDA issued draft guidance on flavored ENDS PMTAs, formalizing a flavor-specific, evidence-scaled framework for evaluating youth risk.
- May 2026: A coalition of 21 state attorneys general submitted comments opposing the draft guidance, arguing that menthol flavoring poses substantial risks to youth and that the FDA's classification of menthol ENDS as "lower risk" contradicts its own research.
- 2026 Fifth Circuit ruling: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit addressed the FDA's application of the "avoidance of appeal to youth" standard to flavored e-cigarettes, noting that the FDA construes the standard more narrowly for non-tobacco flavors.
For the complete list of FDA-authorized products, see our FDA vape crackdown 2026 analysis and our state flavor ban guide. The connection between ingredient safety and cardiovascular health is explored in our VapeScan heart health study review.
