As innovation in consumer products accelerates, so do the challenges in ensuring their safety. With rapidly emerging innovations in cosmetics, medical devices, electronics, and beyond, toxicologists must adapt existing safety evaluation frameworks to keep pace with new products and ones that blur traditional category lines. At the 2025 SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo, the Continuing Education course “Roadmap for Safety Evaluation of Emerging Consumer Products: Application and Adaptation of Existing Practices” provided a deep dive into these challenges and opportunities.
Bridging Traditional and Emerging Risk Assessment Approaches
Chaired by Madhavi Billam-Mukhi and Janet Zang and endorsed by the Dermal Toxicology Specialty Section, along with the American Association of Chinese in Toxicology Special Interest Group and the Medical Device and Combination Product Specialty Section, this course tackled one of the most pressing issues in modern toxicology—how to effectively assess the safety of products that do not fit neatly into traditional regulatory categories.
Industry, regulatory, and academic experts shared their perspectives on how assessment strategies must evolve to accommodate novel products.
Key Takeaways from the Expert Panel
The course featured an impressive lineup of presenters, each bringing a unique perspective on how to apply and refine safety assessment methodologies for novel consumer products:
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Mansi Krishan discussed the definitions of consumer products, medical devices, and the existing regulations for textiles, clean products, cosmetics, and medical devices. She emphasized that guidance from these adjacent industries should be leveraged for emerging electronics products.
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Valentina Galbiati provided an overview of skin sensitization, including the adverse outcome pathway, key events, and OECD test guidelines. She also discussed several contributing factors to the potential for dermal sensitization with wearables, highlighting the balance between properly cleaning devices while avoiding increased risk of reaction with harsh or sensitizing cleaners.
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Jan Oberdoerster provided insights into biocompatibility testing for medical devices with skin contact, emphasizing that each assessment is unique and noting that “the great book of biocompatibility does not exist.” He illustrated this point with compelling case studies, highlighting key differences between Attachment G–compliant assessments and those that are not.
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Kelly Coleman covered in vitro irritation and sensitization assays, discussing their history, development, and application in modern toxicology and highlighting their role in replacing traditional animal testing and improving safety assessments across various industries.
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Kimberly Norman provided a deep dive into the regulatory landscape for cosmetics, covering Pre-MOCRA regulations, current MOCRA timelines, and evolving safety assessment challenges. She shared compelling case studies, including novel exposure considerations related to facial masks, and highlighted the complexity of assessing on-demand, customizable, and rapidly evolving products.
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Thomas Lewandowski closed the session with several case studies, exploring a diverse range of topics, including read-across approaches, alternatives assessment, and the role of analytical chemistry in modern safety evaluations. His presentation underscored the importance of leveraging multiple methodologies to enhance risk assessment strategies for emerging consumer products.
Why This Matters
The safety evaluation of emerging consumer products demands flexibility, innovation, and collaboration. This session underscored the importance of:
Final Thoughts
As consumer products continue to push boundaries, toxicologists must adapt, refine, and innovate in their approaches to safety evaluation. The Continuing Education course provided a compelling roadmap for this journey, reinforcing the need for interdisciplinary collaboration and forward-thinking methodologies.
What are your thoughts on the evolving landscape of consumer product safety? Let’s continue the conversation!
This blog reports on the Continuing Education course titled “Roadmap for Safety Evaluation of Emerging Consumer Products: Application and Adaptation of Existing Practices” that was held during the 2025 SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo. All 2025 Continuing Education courses were recorded and are available for virtual viewing through the SOT CEd-Tox online library. SOT Postdocs and Students and individuals from select countries receive free access to all CE courses.
This blog was prepared by an SOT Reporter and represents the views of the author. SOT Reporters are SOT members who volunteer to write about sessions and events in which they participate during the SOT Annual Meeting and ToxExpo. SOT does not propose or endorse any position by posting this article. If you are interested in participating in the SOT Reporter program in the future, please email SOT Headquarters.