Food Toxicology: The Science Behind Food Safety
We rarely think about the science behind the food we eat every day. But have you ever wondered how scientists determine whether a substance is safe to consume?
The answer lies in food toxicology, the study of how chemicals in food affect the human body. By determining the doses at which substances become harmful, food toxicologists establish the safe consumption and maximum limits that underpin food safety standards worldwide. For decades, animal testing has played a key role in generating this scientific evidence. By studying how chemicals affect laboratory animals, scientists estimate the levels at which they may pose a risk to humans.
The Need for a New Approach
While animal testing is a well-established approach, it poses several limitations. First, it is a slow and resource-intensive process, with studies often taking years and costing millions of dollars to assess a single chemical.
Second, there are concerns about how well animal test results translate to humans. Animal physiology and metabolism can differ markedly from those of humans, meaning that a substance found to be harmless in a laboratory animal may not behave the same way in the human body, and vice versa.
Most importantly, animal testing is struggling to keep pace with the rapidly changing world around us. Climate change, environmental pollution, and the emergence of new food sources and production systems are introducing new potential chemical hazards into our food supply chains at an unprecedented rate. This has created a pressing scientific and regulatory need for faster, more human-relevant testing alternatives to generate the necessary toxicological information.
Enter New Approach Methodologies (NAMs)
Around the world, there is a growing shift away from animal testing towards newer approaches for chemical safety assessment. At the forefront of this transition are New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) and Next Generation Risk Assessment (NGRA).
NAMs are modern tools that enable scientists to conduct toxicological assessments without the use of animals. As these methods are grounded in human biology, they generate results that are more directly applicable to human health outcomes than animal models. They also allow large numbers of chemicals to be screened more quickly and efficiently than traditional animal testing.
NAMs are most effective when used together within the broader framework of NGRA, which combines data from multiple NAMs with information on how much and how often people are exposed to a chemical, to build a more complete picture of its safety.
SFA's Commitment to Science-Based Regulation
SFA is actively monitoring global developments in NAMs and NGRA, and engaging with international regulatory counterparts to ensure Singapore remains at the forefront of food toxicology and food safety regulation. To strengthen Singapore's readiness for the regulatory adoption of NAMs and NGRA, SFA is pursuing three strategic thrusts:
As part of these efforts, SFA co-founded the Singapore Food Toxicology Network (SFTN) in August 2024, bringing together researchers, industry partners, and regulators to foster knowledge exchange and collaboration in food toxicology. To strengthen local capabilities, SFA also launched the Singapore Food R&D (SFR) Programme Food Safety Grant Call and awarded funding to six NAMs development and validation projects in November 2025.
Mr Damian Chan, CEO of SFA, announcing the launch of SFTN at the Singapore International Food Forum (August 2024).
Inaugural Singapore Food Toxicology Conference & Workshop held from 8-10 October 2025 bought together more than 180 overseas and local researchers, industry partners, and regulators to share latest advances in NAMs development and discuss opportunities and challenges in the regulatory adoption of NAMs and NGRA.
Scientific symposium co-organised by SFA, SFTN, and National University of Singapore on 25 June 2026 to discuss using NAMs to accurately investigate liver toxicity and damage.
Beyond local efforts, SFA actively engages with international bodies such as International Liaison Group on Methods for Risk Assessment of Chemicals in Food and Feed (ILMERAC) and the Global Coalition for Regulatory Science Research (GCRSR), and participates in international research projects such as NAMs4NANO, a European Union project on the use of NAMs in the risk assessment of nanoparticles.
Together, these local and international efforts aim to build a strong knowledge base in NAMs, develop regulatory confidence, and support the long-term growth of food toxicology in Singapore.
What This Means for Industry and Consumers
For the food industry, NAMs and NGRA can speed up safety assessments for food ingredients, novel foods and food contact materials, while reducing costs. By relying less on animal testing, they may also support sustainability goals and strengthen consumer confidence.
For consumers, these approaches provide a more ethical way to assess food safety, helping innovative food products reach the market without compromising safety standards.
The Road Ahead
NAMs and NGRA are promising developments that SFA will continue to monitor closely. Whilst these methods still require further validation and international consensus on their use in regulatory safety assessments, SFA remains committed to its science-based approach informed by the latest scientific developments to ensure food safety assurance in Singapore.
