The first complete skin sensitisation test, without using animals, has been approved for international use.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), approved the technique developed by BASF, a German chemical company, in collaboration with the Swiss fragrance specialist Givaudan.
The new method combines three tests which allow researchers to understand whether a new product will cause skin irritation, and how quickly the product binds to the skin, which previously had not been possible without animal testing.
“Now we can also use alternative methods to answer more complex toxicological questions without animal testing,” said Dr Robert Landsiedel, Vice President of Special Toxicology at BASF.