Animal test for food hazards 'unacceptable'

Animal testing for food hazards is "unacceptable" where other methods are available, the acting chief executive of the Food Safety Authority, Mr Alan O'Reilly, has said.

The Marine Institute had found a 98 per cent correlation between the results of testing on mice and alternative advanced chemical testing, Mr O'Reilly said.

"It is unacceptable in 2004 to use animals on a routine basis for testing when we have other methods available."

Mr O'Reilly was speaking at an international conference on shellfish safety in Galway yesterday.

The conference was discussing the threat of harmful algal blooms on food safety.