The decisions we make on chemical safety, for consumers, workers and the environment, must be based on the best scientific data and knowledge available. Rapid advances in biology, in cell-based technologies and assays, and in analytical and computational approaches, have led to new types of highly relevant scientific data being generated. Such data enable us to improve the safety decisions we make, whilst also enabling us to avoid animal testing. Stimulated by the UK and EU bans on animal testing for cosmetics, Next Generation Risk Assessment (NGRA) approaches, which integrate various types of non-animal scientific data, have been established for assessing the safety of chemical ingredients used in cosmetics and other consumer products. In stark contrast, the chemicals regulations in Europe and other parts of the world have not kept pace with modern safety science and regulators are now mandating even more animal testing. Urgently closing this science-regulation gap is essential to upholding the EU's legislative requirement that any animal testing is a last resort. The ongoing revisions of UK and EU chemicals strategy and regulations provide an opportunity to fundamentally change the design and assessment paradigm needed to underpin safe and more sustainable innovation, through applying the best science and tools available rather than continuing to be anchored in animal tests dating back many decades. A range of initiatives have recently been launched in response to this urgent need, in the UK as well as in the EU.
Keywords: REACH; alternatives; animal testing; chemical safety; new approach methodologies; next generation risk assessment; product safety; regulatory testing; safety science.