The training has come about due to an $80,000 grant from Humane Society International (HSI), The Humane Society US and the Humane Toxicology Project Consortium, which is trying to promote alternative to animal testing to the industry.
The course forms part of the Humane Society International Asia Science Tour, which will also include educational and training programmes in Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan focused on promoting animal testing alternatives to cosmetic scientists.
HSI has teamed up with the Institute for In Vitro Sciences to provide the workshop-style training programme to a variety of interested parties in lab-based training.
Workshop will focus on animal testing alternatives
The “2nd Workshop and Training of Alternatives Methods” is organised by the Guangdong Inspection and Quarantine Bureau (GCIQ) and will highlight a number of in vitro alternative methods.
It will be attended by over 100 Chinese regulators and scientists who are expected to attend the lectures and workshops given by experts from GCIQ, HISand The Sun Yat-Sen University, as well as China representatives from L’Oreal and Procter & Gamble.
The programme will focus on validated and internationally accepted eye and skin irritation methods that can replace tests that are still commonly carried out on a variety commonly used lab animals, especially rabbits, mice and guinea pigs.
Tapping into a wealth of knowledge on in vitro testing
In vitro alternatives to animal tested have been particularly well developed in Europe, where such methods had to be made commonly available after 2009, when EU regulations expressly banned all animal testing on cosmetics.
The training initiatives in China comes as pressure mounts on the country to adapt its requirements for animal testing on cosmetics to comply with regulations in other global markets, especially Europe.
That pressure has resulted in new government regulation in China meaning that after June of this year, Chinese companies will have the alternative to avoid animal testing on cosmetic products.
“We are thrilled that our Be Cruelty-Free campaign has helped achieve the phase out of China’s mandatory cosmetics animal test requirements.” said Troy Seidle, HSI’s director of research & toxicology.
“But companies and health regulators will only adopt non-animal test methods if they know how to use and interpret them to assure product safety for consumers.”