FDA reverses course on controversial hand sanitizer fees charged to distillers
Alcohol distillers that pivoted to hand sanitizer production during the pandemic were recently granted a welcome reprieve. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had been sending notices to booze businesses in late 2020, demanding thousands of dollars in fees to cover the cost of agency oversight during the year, according to Reason. The reason for the surprise billing? Distillers producing sanitizer were newly classified as over-the-counter drug manufacturers under the CARES Act. But after a flurry of media coverage and vocal dismay from the public, the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees FDA, quickly reversed course on the move and announced it would void the charges. “Small businesses who stepped up to fight COVID-19 should be applauded by their government, not taxed for doing so,” the agency chief of staff tweeted. A toast to that.
