China’s Zhejiang Institute for Food and Drug Control (ZJIFDC) has committed to using only animal-alternative test methods in its new laboratory. Open to domestic and international cosmetic companies, the lab is a scientific collaboration with the Institute for In vitro Sciences (IIVS).
As the regulatory body overseeing food, drugs and cosmetics produced in Zhejiang province, ZJIFDC performed research to ensure the lab would follow best practices for alternative testing by participating in international conferences and workshops. Work on the lab began in 2013.
Alternative testing non-profit IIVS provided technical training—including implementation, execution and data interpretation—to ensure a high-quality facility.
“Working with the ZJIFDC has been a key component of our collaboration with the CFDA [China Food and Drug Administration] to help implement alternative methods in China. … China is working diligently to build capacity and infrastructure in alternative methods to support future changes in regulations. The opening of the Zhejiang alternatives laboratory is a significant step toward this goal and we are honored to have been a part of its success,” stated Erin Hill, IIVS president.
