Committee to finally review need for unreliable animal test

1 September 2010

The European Commission may finally be in the process of replacing a very painful animal test procedure known as the mouse bioassay (MBA) as its prescribed method for verifying the safety of shellfish for human consumption. This news was confirmed to Eurogroup for Animals after we repeated our request for an end to the use of this test, which has been repeatedly reiterated by scientists to be unreliable for assessing food safety.

Scientists of the European Food Safety Authority last month confirmed for the tenth time that the mouse test does not provide accurate results, yet the EU has so far not changed legislation which makes it mandatory to test the toxicity of shellfish products by subjecting mice and rats to immense suffering.

In its reply to Eurogroup’s letter, the Commission announces that its Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health is to vote to replace the mouse test with a non-animal test in October, however this decision will not apply to the testing for all shellfish toxins.

The current proposal asks that Member States do away with the animal test within three years, giving them far more time than is necessary to adapt to the new rules as most European laboratories already possess all the tools they need to carry out the non-animal procedure. The EU will continue to allow the testing on mice to determine the presence of Paralytic Shellfish Toxins (PSP), despite the large number of alternatives available.

Eurogroup will continue to call for the full replacement of the animals tests.

OECD guidelines render painful animal test obsolete

10 August 2010

The Organisation for the Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has adopted new international testing guidelines for skin irritation that will replace a very painful animal test known as the Draize test, carried out on rabbits. This move has been welcomed by animal protection groups which have campaigned to remove this cruel test for over a decade.

The new guideline foresees the use of three artificial human skin models or other methods that meet the guideline’s specifications and can thus render the rabbit test obsolete.

The Draize rabbit skin test dates back to the 1940s and has traditionally been conducted to assess skin irritation by applying chemicals to the shaved, raw skin on the backs of rabbits. The new alternative methods, however, provide a humane—and more accurate—assessment of the potential damage a substance poses to human skin.

As one of groups invited by the OECD to develop the new guideline, the International Council for Animal Protection in OECD Programmes (ICAPO) - of which Eurogroup is a member - provided scientific expertise that helped create the new rules and ensure its acceptance.

Call to ban cloning of animals for food production as products from clones being sold unchecked

4 August 2010

Eurogroup for Animals is extremely concerned by the news emerging from the UK that cloned meat and milk has entered the food chain unchecked on at least one occasion in the last year. This is a major concern and Eurogroup calls on all European Member States to immediately launch a thorough review of their food safety procedures to ensure this is not happening more widely across the European Union.

The development of animal cloning as a method of food production is being pursued without public awareness and in spite of well-documented public concerns relating to the use of biotechnology in food production (e.g. GM foods). This is unacceptable, takes no notice of consumer safety or animal welfare and must be banned.

“Eurogroup for Animals believes this incident highlights the need for the EU to introduce an immediate ban on the cloning of animals for food production, on the import of semen, embryos as well as food products from cloned animals and their offspring and calls on the European Commission to act immediately and robustly to finalise legislation that reflects the concern of Europe’s citizens and prevents this happening again,” said Sonja Van Tichelen, Director of Eurogroup for Animals.

“We urge all European governments to redouble their checks to ensure products derived from cloned animals are not entering the food chain and to punish unscrupulous farmers and producers,” added Van Tichelen

Eurogroup is concerned that the routine use of cloning in other regions of the world to increase meat and milk production does not take into account animal welfare, ethics, public safety, reducing genetic diversity within agriculture and the spread of animal diseases and goes against the wishes of European citizens.

New report confirms worst fears for meat chicken welfare

28 July 2010

Eurogroup for Animals today welcomed the new report of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) which again confirms our concerns related to the widespread welfare problems associated with the breeding of chickens. The report highlights the need for the European Union to regulate the breeding of animals used for food production and Eurogroup urges the Commission to take action immediately.

Over the years the breeding and genetic selection of animals has been focused on producing more meat, more quickly.  Chickens have been continually genetically selected to grow faster, from taking four months to reach maturity in 1950 to only one month today. This extremely fast growth and the increased weight of the birds themselves places a very high toll on the animals’ welfare and health which results in many animals dying and suffering unnecessarily. 

 “This report presents a catalogue of suffering for the birds from birth to the slaughterhouse. This suffering is hidden and far away from the eyes of the consumer. The industry can no longer claim that it cares for the welfare of their animals if they allow this to happen and they can no longer act in such a cavalier manner,” stated Eurogroup’s director Sonja Van Tichelen.

“If industry cannot take its responsibilities seriously it is the duty of the EU to regulate the breeding companies and enforce better standards. We therefore urge the European Commission to propose legislation as soon as possible which includes all animal breeding practices for food production, as this has been neglected so far, and it is the very point where welfare problems start,” she concluded.