Star Scientific Inc., which sells tobacco products that dissolve in the consumer's mouth, is asking the Food and Drug Administration to certify them as less harmful than other forms of tobacco.

Star Scientific said Monday it asked the FDA Friday to approve its wintergreen-flavored dissolvable tobacco lozenges as a "modified risk" product under the 2009 law that gave the FDA authority over tobacco.

The Glen Allen, Va., company said its Ariva-BDL lozenges contain "below detectable levels" of certain cancer-causing chemicals found in tobacco and its smoke. The tablets contain tobacco's most addictive component, nicotine.

The FDA has said such products could appeal particularly to children and young adults.