Ministry of SMEs and Startups Collaborates with MFDS on Raw Material Supply for 'Hand Sanitizers'

Park Young-sun, Minister of SMEs and Startups, is seen talking during a visit to Wooshin Cosmetics, a hand sanitizer manufacturer located in Bucheon, Gyeonggi Province, on the 19th.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daeseop] The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on the 25th that it is working with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to resolve the supply issues of raw materials for hand sanitizers.

This collaboration was made possible after the Global Growth Bureau of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups requested the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to temporarily allow the use of non-denatured ethanol raw materials for hand sanitizers in food-grade and cosmetic-grade categories.

The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety accepted the request and sent a unified official letter to hand sanitizer manufacturers on the 21st, stating that "for hand sanitizers used externally only, 95% ethanol derived from fermented spirits and meeting the specifications of the approval (notification) certificate can be used in the manufacture of quasi-drug hand sanitizers," according to the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.

Earlier, on the 19th, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups visited Wooshin Cosmetics, a hand sanitizer manufacturer located in Bucheon, Gyeonggi-do. At this meeting attended by Minister Park Young-sun, Wooshin Cosmetics shared difficulties related to raw material supply.

Under current Ministry of Food and Drug Safety regulations, only non-denatured ethanol of the Korean Pharmacopoeia (KP) grade without added denaturants can be used as raw materials. However, they requested that allowing the use of non-denatured ethanol in food-grade and cosmetic-grade, which are relatively easier to supply, would enable a significant increase in production.

This cooperation between the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety is expected to help with the supply of raw materials for hand sanitizers.

An official from the Ministry of SMEs and Startups stated, "There was an issue with liquor tax on food-grade ethanol, but for manufacturers making hand sanitizers using food-grade ethanol, the National Tax Service has agreed to exempt liquor tax burdens if they follow a separate reporting procedure."