The FSA has ended the practice of animal testing to screen shellfish that could be poisonous to humans.
Previously, the Food Standards Agency used mice to test for paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) and lipophilic toxins in commercially harvested shellfish.
But alongside the Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture, the FSA has developed an alternative testing method for its shellfish monitoring programme.
The switch to non-animal testing had been achieved after years of FSA-funded research, said the watchdog’s chief scientist, Andrew Wadge.
“This is a significant milestone in meeting the UK’s commitment to reduce the burden of animal testing,” he said.
Both PSP and lipophilic toxins can cause severe illness in people who consume them. The previous mouse bioassay (MBA) test has been replaced by methods based on the High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and Liquid Chromatographic Mass Spectrometric (HPLC) tests.
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