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  Issue 4 (2001)

GD News
New Methods of animal-experiment-free Cosmetics Examination
No Restriction of Consumer Protection

According to the current law for the protection of animals, animal experiments relating to the safety-toxicological examination of cosmetical finished products are no longer allowed in Germany. For the safety-toxicological examination of new cosmetical ingredients, however, animal experiments are still performed in certain cases. It can only be dispensed with these experiments if the meanwhile developed animal-experiment-free substitute methods are generally accepted by the authorities of the EC member states for tests of new chemical substances.


Professor Dr. med. Horst Spielmann informed about the legal and scientific background of this subject on the occasion of the symposium "Effects of Dermocosmetics" organized by the Gesellschaft für Dermopharmazie in Düsseldorf on 17 October 2001. Spielmann is head of the Zentralstelle zur Erfassung und Bewertung von Ersatz- und Ergänzungsmethoden zum Tierversuch (ZEBET) (Center for the Recording and Assessment of Substitute- and Supplementation Methods for Animal Experiments) at the Bundesinstitut für gesundheitlichen Verbraucherschutz und Vererinärmedizin (Federal Institute for Sanitary Consumer Protection and Veterinary Medicine) (BgVV) in Berlin. Furthermore, he is member of the GD managing committee.

As Spielmann explained, a consensus has already been reached among the scientists in industry and authorities concerned years ago according to which the cosmetical finished products are no longer tested in safety-toxicological animal experiments. In the meantime validated substitutional methods are available which are also introduced in the toxicological laboratories of the cosmetic industry in the US and Japan. The practice has shown that the consumer protection is not impaired by using of these methods.

For the safety-toxicological test of new cosmetical ingredients, in the meantime animal experiments are likewise no longer required in some areas. Spielmann mentioned the tests for the etching effect on the skin, relating to phototoxic properties, skin penetration and mutagenicity as examples. These tests can be performed today by means of artificial human skin, at cell cultures, at operation material of human skin respectively cells and bacteria.

In three to five years it can be reckoned with that also for experiments of the eye and skin irritation, skin sensitizing, acute toxicity and embryotoxicity, animal experiments are no longer required. For the test of chronical impairments and the test regarding carcinogenicity, however, only in five to ten years from now the establishing of validated substitutional methods can be expected. In order to be successful in the periods mentioned, research regarding the development and validation of such methods is to be intensively fostered by private institutions.

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