Astoriom has gained full approval from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) to operate as a Handling and Storage Plant, expanding the specialist storage services available to organizations working across animal health, veterinary science, biotechnology and life sciences research.
As life science, veterinary and animal health research becomes more specialized, organizations are increasingly working with biological materials that require careful handling, clear traceability and appropriate regulatory oversight. For teams managing animal-origin samples, choosing the right storage partner is not simply a question of capacity. It is also about compliance, sample integrity and confidence that materials are being managed within an approved framework.
What is APHA approval?
The Animal and Plant Health Agency regulates facilities involved in the handling and storage of animal by-products (ABPs). ABPs are materials of animal origin that are not intended for human consumption, and they are controlled to help protect animal health, public health and the wider environment.
ABPs are divided into three categories according to the level of risk they present. Category 1 materials are considered the highest risk, Category 2 materials are also high risk, and Category 3 materials are lower risk. The category assigned to a material can influence how it must be stored, segregated, labeled, transported and disposed of. Astoriom is approved to handle and store Category 1, Category 2 and Category 3 animal by-products, giving customers access to a compliant external storage partner across the full range of ABP categories. This also makes Astoriom a distinctive option for organizations seeking approved storage capacity, as one of few approved for this specialist capability.
Approval by the APHA involves assessment of the facility, its operating procedures and the controls in place to manage regulated materials safely. This includes how materials are received, stored, identified, separated and recorded, as well as how the site maintains ongoing compliance through documented processes and inspection readiness.
What does this mean for Astoriom customers?
For Astoriom customers, full APHA approval provides an additional layer of assurance when outsourcing the storage of animal-origin research materials. It means regulated samples can be placed with a provider that has been assessed for the handling and storage of ABPs, rather than relying on general-purpose storage infrastructure that may not be suitable for these materials. This is particularly relevant to organizations across animal health, veterinary pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, preclinical research, specialist laboratory services and academic research, where animal-derived materials may form part of studies, testing programs, product development or long-term sample archives.
As sample volumes increase, organizations may also face pressure on internal freezer capacity, laboratory space and quality resources. Access to an approved external storage facility can provide a practical route to scaling storage while supporting regulatory expectations around segregation, labeling, traceability and chain of custody.
Astoriom combines APHA-approved handling and storage capabilities with established controlled-temperature infrastructure and a quality-led approach. This enables customers to store regulated animal-origin materials alongside wider biorepository requirements, from ambient conditions through to ultra-low temperature and vapor-phase storage.
Supporting evolving storage requirements
APHA approval represents a further expansion of Astoriom’s specialist storage capabilities and the range of regulated materials we can support. For organizations working with Category 1, Category 2 or Category 3 ABPs, it offers confidence that storage arrangements can be aligned with the material classification and the controls required for compliant management.
As research programs evolve and sample collections grow, our teams work with customers to understand their material, temperature, segregation and storage requirements, then identify an appropriate solution that supports both operational needs and regulatory confidence.
To discuss storage requirements for animal by-products or animal-derived research materials, get in touch with our expert team.
