Sales of four cigarette brands from R.J. Reynolds were banned by the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday because they did not meet the agency's safety review requirements. Under FDA rules, companies that start new cigarettes have to show that the products are basically similar to the older products in terms of health risks.

According to FDA, four brands from North Carolina-based R.J. Reynolds have failed in showing that they don't raise new safety concerns.

Agency officials mentioned that they took part in a 'considerable back and forth' with R.J. Reynolds prior to ordering the cigarettes off the market. The action taken by FDA doesn't clearly mean that the products are more dangerous as compared to older cigarettes, and are just different.

On a call with reporters, FDA's tobacco director Mitch Zeller said, "All we have to conclude is that the different characteristics of these products raise different issues of public health. In our mind, these changed features raised questions for us".

The brands banned by FDA include Camel Crush Bold, Pall Mall Deep Set Recessed Filter, Pall Mall Deep Set Recessed Filter Menthol and Vantage Tech 13.

Under Tuesday's action, retailers are not allowed to sell or distribute the four cigarette brands but the agency has mentioned that it is not going to take action for a month, to give stores and distributors enough time to dispose of the products.