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Why say NO to foetal calf serum?
Why say NO to foetal calf serum? Production of FBSEvery year up to 800,000 litres of foetal calf serum is produced. Approximately 2 million almost full-term calves must die. It is estimated that in Europe production takes place in about 25 slaughterhouses, but it is thought that there is considerable hidden production – one reason being that slaughterhouses do not provide information on this niche-production. Read more… How is calf serum obtained?A pregnant cow is slaughtered and the living foetus is cut out of her uterus. The calf is moved to a separate area, where a syringe is inserted into the foetus’ beating heart. Via a tube the calf’s blood is pumped by each heartbeat into a bag. As the foetus’ blood is removed, it dies due to the drop in blood pressure and lack of oxygen. The blood coagulates and is then centrifuged so as to remove any
Advantages of serum-free media
Advantages of serum-free media Why use serum-free media?There is a large number of serum-free nutrient media on the market and there are other reasons besides the animal ethical for using them: They are more reliableThere is certainty about the content of a defined, serum-free nutrient medium. Chemically manufactures substances are uniform. Health authorities set ever stricter requirements for safety, and serum-free nutrient media can be used without risk. They are cheaperSerum-free media are cheaper in the long term. Outbreaks of foot and mouth disease can push the price of foetal calf serum even higher. Although foetal calf serum is a supplement and only represents about 5-15% the total nutrient medium, it is estimated that foetal calf serum represents between 55% and 70% of a given nutrient medium. Researchers have estimated that going over to serum-free alternatives gives a cost-saving of 80%. What do I do?It has become easy to find
