The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a notice in the Federal Register setting fees related to the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) at US$224 an hour for direct work by its staff and US$335 an hour if staff are required to travel to another country, reports The Packer.
The FDA said it would accept comments about the fees up until the point of their inception on 31 October this year and that those comments would be taken into account when it set the fees for the following fiscal year.
There is no relief for small businesses, but the notice says the FDA wants to gather more information before establishing guidelines for those who might suffer 'severe economic hardship' as a result of paying the full fees.
In the coming fiscal year, the FDA will consider waiving some or all of its fees on a case-by-case basis.
