The future of animal experiments in nutrition research

An overview is given on the legal framework in Europe for the use of experimental animals set by EU (European Union) Directive 86/609/EEC and on the activities of EU member states to implement this directive for regulatory testing in animals. Recent progress in implementing the 3Rs concept of Russel and Burch into regulatory guidelines of the EU are described. Moreover the validation of non-animal tests to be used for regulatory purposes is outlined. From the regulatory and the animal welfare perspective the international harmonisation of test guidelines and the mutual acceptance of data are the way forward for chemical safety testing including food additives and contaminants. Examples are given for the replacement of diagnostic animal tests by analytical test methods, e.g. hormones, Clostridium botulinum toxins and neurotoxins from algae in shellfish.