As part of the competitive tendering process previously communicated via the Animal Facility homepage and by mail, the Laboratory Animal Core Facility has now completed the evaluation of bedding, diet and enrichment products for rodents.

Bedding: Select Fine

Select Fine bedding was tested in the facility over a 6-week period during July and August 2025. The bedding exceeded expectations in terms of dust control and overall quality and has been chosen for full implementation.

Rodent Diets: SAFE D30 & D40

The selection of SAFE diets is based on their scientific rigor, nutritional consistency, and alignment with internationally recognized standards.

SAFE diets are:

• Formulated with fixed composition, ensuring batch-to-batch consistency.
• Designed to closely align with NRC (National Research Council) nutritional requirements for laboratory rodents, supporting nutritional neutrality and minimizing confounding dietary effects.
• Free from animal proteins and alfalfa, reducing phytoestrogen exposure.
• Subject to stricter contaminant control, supporting high standards of animal welfare and scientific integrity.

Small-scale validation studies conducted in mice and rats over recent months in the facility confirm that SAFE D30 and D40 diets are:

• Palatable and nutritionally adequate for breeding animals, pups during weaning, and adult animals in maintenance.

Enrichment Products: SAFE

We are also pleased to announce that SAFE has been selected as the new provider of enrichment products for mice and rats. This includes nesting materials and other enrichment items designed to support natural behaviors and improve animal welfare.

As with bedding and diets, internal quality testing of SAFE enrichment products has been conducted within the facility, confirming their suitability for use in our rodent colonies. These products meet our standards for consistency, safety, and enrichment value.

Nutrient Comparison

To support transparency, we have prepared side-by-side nutrient comparisons of the new SAFE diets versus the previously used Altromin diets, and provide slides presenting SAFE products and production facilities. Additional information on SAFE can be found here.

• Rodent Breeding Diet - Altromin 1318F & Safe D30.pdf
• Rodent Maintenance Diet - Altromin 1328F & Safe D40.pdf
• SAFE-BEDDING-DIET-ENRICHMENT-Presentation.pdf

The new diets meet all nutritional requirements, though differences in nutritional and vitamin profiles and contaminant control may be relevant for specific studies.

Implementation Timeline

The transition to Select Fine bedding, SAFE D30/D40 diets, and SAFE enrichment products will begin from January 2026.

We recognize that changes to core consumables may impact ongoing or upcoming studies. Therefore, we kindly ask all research groups to:

• Contact me, your animal technician, or any from the management team if you have special requirements or concerns related to the implementation.
• Especially consider this if you have ongoing or planned experiments that may be sensitive to changes in bedding, diet or enrichment.

We remain committed to:

• Providing advance notice and technical support during the transition.
• Ensuring minimal disruption to research activities.
• Maintaining high standards of animal welfare and scientific continuity.