CPGs, EPA Expedite Process to Move Cleaning Products Through Supply Chain

Consumers have scoured supermarkets’ cleaning product and disinfectant aisles to stock up on products that prevent transmission of the coronavirus

The Consumer Brands Association (CBA), members of the CPG industry and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have established expedited processes to help ensure continued manufacturing and accurate information about household cleaning and sanitizing products are available to the public and frontline service providers so that they can protect themselves and others from the coronavirus.

“We appreciate all that Administrator [Andrew] Wheeler and the EPA are doing to help our industry keep manufacturing life-saving products,” said Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of Arlington, Va.-based CBA, of the March 20 conference call during which the steps were formulated. “From disinfectants to hand sanitizers and soap, our companies are doing their best to operate at full capacity. We commend the EPA for its commitment to preventing supply chain disruptions and getting these products in the hands of Americans when they need them most.”

Noting that the call was “extremely productive and demonstrates the importance of public- and private-sector collaboration, not only in times of great stress, but every day,” Wheeler said: “Our collaboration is critical to slowing the spread of this virus, keeping us safe and healthy. By expediting reviews – both in labeling familiar products, and by approving new products for market – we’re aiding American families and communities across America.”

The EPA and CPG industry will adopt the following policies to boost production and keep supply chains moving:

Establish a new, accelerated process to approve supplier and manufacturing plant changes to prevent supply chain disruptions.
Prioritize and expedite product claims so that consumers know what products prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Expedite the clearance process for disinfectant products made outside the United States.

In an attempt to limit the spread of the virus, Americans are buying large amounts of such items as hand soap, disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer, identified by shoppers in a CBA survey as the top three products they’re purchasing for this purpose.

“As an industry that interacts daily with every American, we will continue to advocate for steps that allow our companies to meet the health and safety needs of consumers in this unprecedented time,” added Freeman.