Many companies have moved over to making hand sanitiser during COVID-19, and regulators want to make sure they are doing it correctly.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has warned that many new products are emerging that fail to meet its regulations.

The TGA made an exemption to its typical rules that allowed companies to make a specific formula of hand sanitiser in a bid to meet demand earlier this year.

Ordinarily, TGA approval would be required for any company looking to sell sanitisers for hospitals or other medical settings.

Companies can now enter the market without that approval, as long as they follow the TGA's instructions for producing and advertising sanitiser.

The TGA now has to ensure that many of the new products on the market meet their standards.

“Our role now is moving to working to make sure that the packaging is appropriate, the composition is appropriate, and that people aren't making crazy advertising claims,” says Professor John Skerritt - a deputy secretary at the Department of Health who oversees the TGA.

“Generally, broad claims about COVID are not permitted… you can't say for these consumer ones, kills viruses, treats COVID, and so forth.”

At least one company has copped a $25,200 fine for breaching TGA rules around hand sanitiser.

The company included a “potentially hazardous alcohol” in their formula, as well as claiming the product can kill 99.99 per cent of germs, viruses and bacteria on hands, including the flu and HIV.

“Don't try to push the margins,” Professor Skerritt said.

“You might feel that you could sell your product more if you made a claim about COVID.

“But you're breaking the law to do that.”