Validation of the Rat Limb Bud Micromass Test in the International ECVAM Validation Study on Three In Vitro Embryotoxicity Tests

A detailed report is presented on the performance of the rat limb bud micromass (MM) test in a European Centre for the Evaluation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM)-sponsored formal validation study on three in vitro tests for embryotoxicity. Twenty coded test chemicals, classified as non-embryotoxic, weakly embryotoxic or strongly embryotoxic on the basis of their in vivo effects on animals and/or humans, were tested in four laboratories. The outcome showed that the MM test is an experimentally validated test, which holds promise for use for identifying strongly embryotoxic chemicals, but which needs to be improved before it can be recommended for use for regulatory purposes.

Risk assessment and food allergy: the probabilistic model applied to allergens

In order to assess the risk of unintended exposure to food allergens, traditional deterministic risk assessment is usually applied, leading to inconsequential conclusions as 'an allergic reaction cannot be excluded'. TNO therefore developed a quantitative risk assessment model for allergens based on probabilistic techniques resulting in a more exhaustive risk assessment and more detailed information. By now, this approach is recognized as the future approach in allergen risk assessment. A case study (hazelnut proteins in chocolate spread) is presented as a proof of concept.

Validation of the Postimplantation Rat Whole-embryo Culture Test in the International ECVAM Validation Study on Three In Vitro Embryotoxicity Tests

A detailed report is presented on the performance of the postimplantation rat whole-embryo culture (WEC) test in a European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM)-sponsored formal validation study on three in vitro tests for embryotoxicity. Twenty coded test chemicals, classified as non-embryotoxic, weakly embryotoxic or strongly embryotoxic on the basis of their in vivo effects in animals and/or humans, were tested in four laboratories. The outcome showed that the WEC test can be considered to be a scientifically validated test, which is ready for consideration for use in assessing the embryotoxic potentials of chemicals for regulatory purposes.