Other Government Agencies You May Need to Know About

In addition to FDA, there are a number of other government agencies that may affect your business. Among them are--

• Consumer Product Safety Commission for consumer products not regulated by FDA, such as toys, household chemicals, and air fresheners, or, for example, if your product requires child-resistant packaging. Examples of products requiring child-resistant packaging include certain nail products and products containing hydrocarbons that can poison children, such as baby oils, body and hair oils, and makeup removers.
• Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Safety Inspection Service, for information on countries currently affected by bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), and the National Organic Program, regarding agricultural products labeled as "organic."
• Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration, Trade Information Center and Bureau of Industry Security for additional information on exports, as well as the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, which handles patent and trademark registration.
• Department of Homeland Security, in particular the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, regarding importing products into this country.
• Department of Justice's Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), if your product contains alcohol.
• Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration, regarding the safety of your employees and the workplace environment.
• Department of State, for information on doing business internationally.
• Department of Transportation, about shipping your products safely.
• Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, regarding economic and trade sanctions
• Environmental Protection Agency, for information on topics such as pesticides, waste, and recycling.
• Export.gov, a government resource for companies that are new to exporting.
• Federal Trade Commission, regarding advertising.
• Securities and Exchange Commission, for laws relating to your corporate structure.
• State and local authorities. Besides the Federal agencies listed above, states as well as counties, cities, and towns have their own health- and consumer-protection laws and agencies to enforce those laws. California, Florida, New Jersey, and Texas are particularly active in many of the same areas regulated by FDA. You may wish to check with your state and local authorities to learn whether any of these laws affect your business.

FDA has entered into Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) with a number of other entities in government, academia, and elsewhere to define lines of authority or responsibility or to clarify cooperative procedures. The intent of an MOU is to improve consumer protection through more effective use of collective resources and to eliminate duplication of activities.