BASF, Sumitomo Join For Animal-Free Safety Testing

BASF and Sumitomo Chemical have joined forces to develop alternatives to animal testing for chemical safety evaluations. The two intend to start by establishing a new line of cultured cells to better assess chemicals. Driving the research are increasingly stringent rules affecting government registrations of agricultural chemicals and pharmaceuticals, they say. For example, provisions in the U.S. chemical safety law now awaiting passage by lawmakers would prevent animals from being subject to cruel and unnecessary testing. The European Union has banned most animal testing for personal care products since 2009. Consumer product companies also want to eliminate animal testing. Last September, Unilever linked with EPA to assess the safety of consumer products without animal testing. And in July, BASF joined with the French firm Poietis to develop three-dimensional printing of skin cells for cosmetic ingredient testing.