Facilitate the cosmetic safety assessment through the creation of a database integrating bibliographical and experimental data, the example of EcoeFISHent project.

A circular economy perspective applied to the fish industry dictates that economic value must be generated by upcycling existing side-streams into functional, high-margin ingredients, while rigorously managing externalities and toxicological risks. Within the framework of the Horizon Europe EcoeFISHent project, the Circular Value Chain 3 (CVC3) "From Fish to Cosmetics” was investigated through a comprehensive case study on a marine peptide hydrolysate derived from side-streams of European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata), and tuna (Thunnus spp.). The primary aim was to structure an ingredient-focused safety assessment compliant with Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, ensuring that sustainability claims are anchored in robust toxicological evidence and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP). Methodologically, this research employed a multi-disciplinary approach: 1. Regulatory Interfacing: Navigating the critical boundary between waste valorisation and the Animal By-Products Regulation (EC) No 1069/2009, ensuring the exclusive use of Category 3 materials to satisfy the prohibition criteria of Annex II (Entry 419) of the Cosmetics Regulation. 2. Safety Assessment: Utilizing the ToxTool® platform to integrate in silico predictions with experimental data, facilitating a Weight-of-Evidence (WoE) characterization of complex mixtures. 3. Technical Validation: Implementing an 11-step workflow, from patented dehydration and enzymatic hydrolysis (<3 kDa) to in vitro safety profiling and biological efficacy testing. The study addressed several key research questions: the unambiguous characterization of peptide identity for batch reproducibility, the monitoring of impurities within acceptable toxicological thresholds and the determination of consumer exposure scenarios. Results showed adequate safety margins alongside proven efficacy capacities. Ultimately, this work proposes a compliance-anchored framework for circular cosmetic development. It demonstrates that the transition from environmental "waste" to high-value bioactive ingredients is viable only when scientific innovation is systematically aligned with rigorous regulatory requirements, resulting in four cosmetic products successfully formulated and supported by compliant Product Information Files.