The Importance of Appropriate Preclinical Studies

Preclinical studies must be performed before an ingredient can be considered for clinical studies in humans in order to determine the potential toxicity of the ingredient and its metabolites and their effects in the matrix. Preclinical studies allow researchers to expose cell cultures and experimental animals to doses of ingredients not normally encountered in human consumption. Results of such assessments are used to determine the threshold of toxicity for the given ingredient (i.e., the margin of safety). 

Guidelines for preclinical studies to assess the safety of infant formulas must be based on considerations of  

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