International fragrance and flavouring manufacturer Symrise has teamed up with Cutech Srl, an Italian biotech company, to create a new skin model as an alternative to animal testing. The new model is a long-term culture ex-vivo skin of porcine origin and can be effectively used for conducting skin tests for cosmetic ingredients.
This project derives from recent European law changes, which prohibit the sale of cosmetic products that were tested on animals. Because the pig skin used for the model was developed from animals intended for meat production, Symrise and Cutech says the model complies with European law.
The pig skin has a three-dimensional structure, making it ideal for comparison with human skin. The range of tests currently developed includes safety tests on dermal irritation and sensitisation and efficacy tests on skin ageing and pigmentation.