Craft brewers around the country are worried the continuation of the federal government shutdown will hurt their abilities to do business.

It’s all due to the disruption of the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, which the Associated Press describes as a “little-known arm” of the federal Treasury Department.  The bureau, also called the TTB, is responsible for approving new breweries, and perhaps more importantly, new beer recipes and labels.

Brewers say delays in getting approvals for new products, the development of which is an important element of the fast-growing industry, could bring business to a standstill.

Read an Associated Press report on this development, posted on HeraldNet.com, the online arm of The Daily Herald in Everett, Wash. The Daily Herald is a partner publication with The Bellingham Business Journal.