The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced yesterday, July 2, 2018, an opportunity for public comment on a proposed survey of the manufacturing practices and standards employed across the cosmetic industry to ensure product quality and safety. The survey is intended to provide the industry with a systematic and detailed study of the current manufacturing practices, a study which, to date, has never been undertaken by FDA.

The voluntary survey would collect a variety of data ranging from general company information about the product manufacturer (such as production and volume, approximate revenue, company size), as well as data on the following practices: written procedures and documentation relating to manufacturing, processing, maintenance, and training; buildings and equipment management, including cleanliness, sanitation, pest control practices, and equipment maintenance; materials and manufacturing, including inventory management and standard operating procedures; and quality control/product testing, including scope, quality testing, rejected products or complaint response, and other corrective actions. The comment period will be open until August 31.

Some stakeholders and consumer groups have been calling on lawmakers and regulators to reform cosmetics regulations for years, and this initiative could signal that regulatory modifications lie ahead. Five years have passed since FDA issued its draft guidance for Cosmetic Good Manufacturing Practices, which was originally issued on February 12, 1997 and was later revised in April of 2008 and again in June of 2013.