Adopting new approach methodologies for food safety assessment: A scoping review of evidence from Singapore

Background New approach methodologies (NAMs) are increasingly promoted as enablers of next-generation chemical risk assessment in different chemical sector, yet their application in food safety remains heterogeneous and incompletely characterized. This scoping review examined peer-reviewed evidence on NAMs relevant to food safety and toxicology in Singapore, including direct food-safety applications and transferable platforms from adjacent sectors with relevance to oral exposure. Scope and approach Supported by a pre-established conceptual framework proposed, peer-reviewed studies published between 2014 and 2024 were identified in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science using domain-specific search strategies derived from a five-domain conceptual framework for NAMs. Evidence was then charted and descriptively synthesized using a hierarchical analytical framework classifying studies by epistemic role, methodological domain, contexts of use within food safety risk assessment, toxicological endpoints, integration within assessment workflows, and methodological readiness. Key findings and conclusions Fifty-one studies were included, comprising 33 direct food-safety applications and 18 transferable NAM platforms. In vitro approaches predominated ( n = 32), while in silico ( n = 11) and omics-based methods ( n = 8) were mainly used as complementary approaches. Applications clustered around hazard identification, hazard characterization, and mechanistic understanding, whereas exposure assessment and structured evidence of integration were less frequent. Only seven studies incorporated simulated digestion to generate ingestion-relevant exposure forms. Development-focused studies showed moderate-to-high methodological readiness, but recurring gaps in standardization, reproducibility reporting, and reusability remained. This Singapore-based evidence base provides transferable insights into how NAMs are advancing in food safety, helping clarify current progress, integration challenges, and priority areas for strengthening research, adoption, and regulatory preparedness in broader international contexts.