If you follow tobacco or vape news, you might have missed a quiet but important update from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on April 22. The agency expanded its official list of harmful and potentially harmful ingredients in tobacco products – and some of the new additions will look very familiar to anyone who vapes.
The FDA added 18 new chemicals to its so-called HPHC list (short for Harmful and Potentially Harmful Constituents). That brings the total to 111 substances that can show up in tobacco products, cigarette smoke, or e-cigarette aerosol.
What’s new on the list?
The freshly added chemicals include a mix of familiar names like acetic acid (vinegar’s main component), diacetyl (the buttery flavor linked to “popcorn lung”), and common vape base ingredients like propylene glycol and glycerol. Here’s the full rundown:
- Acetic acid
- Acetoin
- Acetyl propionyl
- Benzyl acetate
- Butyraldehyde
- Diacetyl
- Diethylene glycol
- Ethyl acetate
- Ethylene glycol
- Furfural
- Glycerol
- Glycidol
- Isoamyl acetate
- Isobutyl acetate
- Methyl acetate
- n-Butanol
- Propionic acid
- Propylene glycol
According to the FDA, these chemicals can be found in a range of products – not just traditional cigarettes, but also e-cigarettes, hookah tobacco, and cigars, as well as the vapor or smoke they produce.
Three more flavor-related chemicals could join the list
The agency isn’t stopping there. It’s also asking for public feedback on three additional ingredients it’s considering adding. These are:
- Pulegone (minty compound found in some mint oils)
- Furfuryl alcohol
- Methyl eugenol
All three are often used as flavorings in e-liquid recipes, though they can also appear in cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. If you have thoughts on this, you’ve got until May 26, 2026 (11:59 p.m. ET) to submit comments to the FDA.
Wait – does being on this list mean a chemical is banned?
No – and that’s a key point the FDA stressed. The HPHC list isn’ a ban list. It’s more like a transparency tool.
Under U.S. law (the FD&C Act), tobacco companies have to report to the FDA what’s in their products, including any of these chemicals. The agency uses the list to:
- Help the public understand what’s really in tobacco and vape products
- Give industry a clearer benchmark for compliance
- Support review of new product applications, like PMTAs (Premarket Tobacco Product Applications)
Basically, if a company wants to sell a new e-cigarette or tobacco product, it usually has to provide data on these chemicals – how much is in the aerosol, and what the risks might be.
What’s next? Respiratory toxins will get extra attention
Here’s an interesting twist: the FDA said it will now use respiratory toxins identified by NIOSH (the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) as an extra filter for adding more chemicals to the list in the future.
That means if a substance is known to damage lungs in workplace settings, it’s more likely to show up on the HPHC list down the road. The FDA made it clear this isn’t a one-time update – the list will keep growing as science and regulations evolve.
Related Reading: U.S. Vape Policy: Real-time Updates
Bottom line
The latest changes don’t ban anything, but they do shine a brighter spotlight on what’s going into your lungs when you vape or smoke. For vapers especially, seeing everyday base liquids like propylene glycol and glycerol on a “harmful constituents” list might be surprising. The FDA’s message seems to be: just because something is common doesn’t mean it’s harmless.
Whether you’re a public health professional, a vaper, or just curious, this update is worth keeping an eye on – especially with public comments open for those three flavor chemicals through late May 2026.