Vireo strongly supports the responsible development of alternative testing methods including New Approach Methodologies for safety demonstration, and has collaborated in the past to advance their development and acceptance. But, on review, we found there are significant issues with the findings and conclusions of two reports on the safety of micro and nanofibrillated celluloses recently published as part of a European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) – funded Pilot Project.

Working with our collaborators at Baylor University, UC Davis and the U.S. Forest Products Laboratory we developed and published a biologically relevant gastrointestinal testing strategy to evaluate the safety of surface-functionalized cellulose materials following oral exposure, based on guidance from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

Our latest book chapter describes risk assessment frameworks and state-of-the-art approaches to assess nanomaterial risk with a specific focus on life-cycle risk analysis. Case studies for carbon nanotubes and cellulose nanomaterials put these theories into practice, guiding readers through model risk assessment processes.

Food Safety of Fermented Proteins and Cultivated Meat and Seafood, written by Kimberly J. Ong, Fiona Case and Jo Anne Shatkin from Vireo Advisors, chapter 6 in Cellular Agriculture Technology, Society, Sustainability and Science published by Elsevier, reviews potential hazards specific to the manufacture and consumption of fermented proteins and cultivated meat and seafood….

We are pleased to announce Vireo is part of a significant new project to assess the safety of serum free media components and standardize testing for the cultivated meat and seafood industry to accelerate innovation.