Spotlight on cosmetic ingredients conference

The science and policy of in vitro test methods presented in forum at Chemical Heritage Foundation

As 2009 E.U. non-animal testing deadlines loom for manufacturers of chemicals for products ranging from perfumes to deodorant to shampoos, a meeting in Philadelphia will bring together scientists, cosmetics formulators, and policy experts to address the impact of the 7th Amendment of the Cosmetics Directive, a series of deadlines for animal testing bans in the E.U., and REACH, a massive undertaking to identify potential hazards from thousands of chemicals previously exempt from testing requirements.

The event, called Spotlight on Ingredients: In Vitro Alternatives Forum, will take place on Thursday and Friday, October 23 and 24, 2008. Experts from Europe and representatives from major U.S. companies and trade groups will convene for a briefing on state of the art "alternative" testing methods, the policy and consumer demands behind them, and how to move forward with in vitro testing programs.

Dr. Rodger Curren, the president of event co-sponsor the Institute for In Vitro Sciences, says, "We intend that participants will walk away with practical information on the requirements of the non-animal testing bans; activities being undertaken by international organizations to meet these requirements; the actual testing strategies and how non-animal data can be used in risk assessment."

Co-sponsors Alternatives Research & Development Foundation (ARDF), of Jenkintown, PA, and Institute for In Vitro Sciences (IIVS) of Gaithersburg, MD join the Environmental History and Policy Program in the Chemical Heritage Foundation's (CHF) Center for Contemporary History and Policy to bring together a brain trust of presenters including Vera Rogiers of the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (SCCP) and Laura Gribaldo of the European Center for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM).

Format: Thursday's presentations begin at 2 p.m. and end at 4 p.m. with discussions on cosmetics legislation, consumer impact, and related regulations. Following these events is a special dinner at the College of Physicians of Philadelphia's Mutter Museum to celebrate the 15th anniversary of ARDF. Friday's presentations begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 3:00 p.m., addressing available in vitro methods and forthcoming testing approaches for ingredients.