Vireo Advisors, LLC and Baylor University Demonstrate Food Safety of Fibrillated Cellulose using Alternative Testing Strategy

Vireo Advisors, in collaboration with Baylor University, recently published an article “Physical, chemical, and toxicological characterization of fibrillated forms of cellulose using an in vitro gastrointestinal digestion and co-culture model” in Toxicology Research. Following guidance from the European Food Safety Authority, an alternative testing strategy was developed which included simulated gastrointestinal digestion to compare seven different types of fibrillated cellulose. Through this testing, it was determined that fibrillated cellulose is physically and chemically similar to conventional forms of cellulose which have Generally Recognized as Safe regulatory status in the USA and has been used in food for more than 85 years. The results of the study provide substantive evidence to support the grouping of fibrillated cellulose and the ability to read-across data as a part of food safety demonstration.