Food for thought - Paving the way for a UK roadmap towards optimum consumer safety: Development, Endorsement and Regulatory acceptance of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in Chemical Risk Assessment and Beyond

Advances in biosciences, chemistry, technology, and computer sciences have resulted in the unparalleled development of candidate New Approach Methodologies over the last few years. Many of these are potentially invaluable in the safety assessment of chemicals, but very few have been adopted for regulatory decision making. There is an immediate opportunity to use NAMs in safety assessment where the vision is to be able to predict risk more rapidly, accurately, and efficiently to further assure consumer safety. In order to achieve this, the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) and the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment (COT) have developed a roadmap towards acceptance and integration of these new approach methodologies into safety and risk assessments for regulatory decision making. The roadmap provides a UK blueprint for the transition of NAMs from the research laboratory to their use in regulatory decision making. This will require close collaboration across disciplines (chemists, toxicologists, informaticians, risk assessors and others), and across chemical sectors, to develop, verify and utilise appropriate models. Linking up internationally, and harmonization will be fundamental.