Chemical substances can endanger human reproduction and children during pregnancy. The new European Regulation concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Re-striction of Chemicals (REACH) demands extensive animal testing over the next years. Ac-cording to estimations, over 80 percent of these animal experiments are needed for the study of risks for reproduction and unborn children. Together with international experts within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and

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... nt (OECD) chemicals programme, the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has assessed these risks in a "chemical category approach" for 61 structurally similar chemicals. The chemicals in question are surfactants, which are predominantly used in cleaning agents and detergents. A few studies were sufficient in order to scientifically assess the potential hazards of all 61 chemicals. Over 95 percent of the projected animal experiments could thus be avoided. The application of chemical category approaches substitutes a large number of animal experiments and therefore constitutes an alternative to these. The approach does not question the strict safety re-quirements for the assessment of risks of consumer products.