By Patrick Wingrove and Emma Rumney

NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) -The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will ease requirements on nicotine pouch manufacturers under a new pilot program, internal meeting transcripts show, in the first clear sign of a softer stance on smoking alternatives under Trump’s White House.

The FDA has long applied rigorous tests to all new nicotine products before licensing them for sale in the United States, including requiring costly studies by manufacturers to detail the population-level effects of their products.

The FDA has wanted to ensure products offer a net benefit to public health by helping smokers switch away from cigarettes without creating new issues, such as a surge in youth use.

Under the pilot, however, the FDA will drop a requirement that manufact

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