[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 241 (Thursday, December 18, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 59129-59130]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-23249]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Food and Drug Administration

[Docket No. FDA-2025-D-2246]


Questions and Answers Regarding Mandatory Cosmetics Recalls: 
Draft Guidance for Industry; Availability

AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

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SUMMARY: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA or Agency) is announcing 
the availability of a draft guidance document entitled ``Questions and 
Answers Regarding Mandatory Cosmetics Recalls: Guidance for Industry.'' 
The draft guidance document, when finalized, will provide answers to 
common questions that might arise about FDA's mandatory recall 
authority for cosmetics. It is intended to inform regulated industry 
about the Agency's current thinking on implementation of certain 
aspects, including the criteria, process, and expectations, for 
mandatory recalls of cosmetic products.

DATES: Submit either electronic or written comments on the draft 
guidance by February 17, 2026 to ensure that the Agency considers your 
comment on this draft guidance before it begins work on the final 
version of the guidance.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments on any guidance at any time as 
follows:

Electronic Submissions

    Submit electronic comments in the following way:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments. Comments submitted 
electronically, including attachments, to https://www.regulations.gov 
will be posted to the docket unchanged. Because your comment will be 
made public, you are solely responsible for ensuring that your comment 
does not include any confidential information that you or a third party 
may not wish to be posted, such as medical information, your or anyone 
else's Social Security number, or confidential business information, 
such as a manufacturing process. Please note that if you include your 
name, contact information, or other information that identifies you in 
the body of your comments, that information will be posted on https://www.regulations.gov.
     If you want to submit a comment with confidential 
information that you do not wish to be made available to the public, 
submit the comment as a written/paper submission and in the manner 
detailed (see ``Written/Paper Submissions'' and ``Instructions'').

Written/Paper Submissions

    Submit written/paper submissions as follows:
     Mail/Hand Delivery/Courier (for written/paper 
submissions): Dockets Management Staff (HFA-305), Food and Drug 
Administration, 5630 Fishers Lane, Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852.
     For written/paper comments submitted to the Dockets 
Management Staff, FDA will post your comment, as well as any 
attachments, except for information submitted, marked and identified, 
as confidential, if submitted as detailed in ``Instructions.''
    Instructions: All submissions received must include the Docket No. 
FDA-2025-D-2246 for ``Questions and Answers Regarding Mandatory 
Cosmetics Recalls: Guidance for Industry.'' Received comments will be 
placed in the docket and, except for those submitted as ``Confidential 
Submissions,'' publicly viewable at https://www.regulations.gov or at 
the Dockets Management Staff between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through 
Friday, 240-402-7500.
     Confidential Submissions--To submit a comment with 
confidential information that you do not wish to be made publicly 
available, submit your comments only as a written/paper submission. You 
should submit two copies total. One copy will include the information 
you claim to be confidential with a heading or cover note that states 
``THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.'' The Agency will 
review this copy, including the claimed confidential information, in 
its consideration of comments. The second copy, which will have the 
claimed confidential information redacted/blacked out, will be 
available for public viewing and posted on https://www.regulations.gov. 
Submit both copies to the Dockets Management Staff. If you do not wish 
your name and contact information to be made publicly available, you 
can provide this information on the cover sheet and not in the body of 
your comments and you must identify this information as 
``confidential.'' Any information marked as ``confidential'' will not 
be disclosed

[[Page 59130]]

except in accordance with 21 CFR 10.20 and other applicable disclosure 
law. For more information about FDA's posting of comments to public 
dockets, see 80 FR 56469, September 18, 2015, or access the information 
at: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2015-09-18/pdf/2015-23389.pdf.
    Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or 
the electronic and written/paper comments received, go to https://www.regulations.gov and insert the docket number, found in brackets in 
the heading of this document, into the ``Search'' box and follow the 
prompts and/or go to the Dockets Management Staff, 5630 Fishers Lane, 
Rm. 1061, Rockville, MD 20852, 240-402-7500.
    You may submit comments on any guidance at any time (see 21 CFR 
10.115(g)(5)). Submit written requests for single copies of the draft 
guidance to the Division of Inspectorate Policy, Office of Inspections 
and Investigations, Food and Drug Administration, Element Building, 
12420 Parklawn Dr., Rockville, MD 20852. Send two self-addressed 
adhesive labels to assist the office in processing your requests. See 
the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for electronic access to the 
draft guidance document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Patrick Clouser, Office of Inspections 
and Investigations, Food and Drug Administration, Element Building, 
12420 Parklawn Dr., Rockville, MD 20852, 240-402-5276, 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

I. Background

    FDA is announcing the availability of a draft guidance document 
entitled ``Questions and Answers Regarding Mandatory Cosmetics Recalls: 
Guidance for Industry.'' The purpose of this draft guidance document, 
when finalized, is to provide guidance to industry on the 
implementation of the mandatory cosmetics recall provisions of section 
611 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the FD&C Act or the 
Act), which was added by section 3502 of the Modernization of Cosmetics 
Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA). The guidance is in the form of 
Questions and Answers and provides answers to common questions that 
might arise about these mandatory recall provisions and FDA's current 
thinking regarding their implementation.
    This draft guidance is being issued consistent with FDA's good 
guidance practices regulation (21 CFR 10.115). The draft guidance, when 
finalized, will represent the current thinking of FDA on mandatory 
cosmetics recalls. It does not establish any rights for any person and 
is not binding on FDA or the public. You can use an alternative 
approach if it satisfies the requirements of the applicable statutes 
and regulations.
    As we develop final guidance on this topic, FDA will consider 
comments on costs or cost savings the guidance may generate, relevant 
for Executive Order 14192.

II. Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995

    FDA tentatively concludes that this draft guidance contains no 
collection of information. Therefore, clearance by the Office of 
Management and Budget under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 is not 
required.

III. Electronic Access

    Persons with access to the internet may obtain the draft guidance 
at https://www.fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents or https://www.regulations.gov.

Lowell M. Zeta,
Acting Deputy Commissioner for Policy, Legislation, and International 
Affairs.
[FR Doc. 2025-23249 Filed 12-17-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4164-01-P