Animal Testing
(Animal Testing, the International Issue: ) Looks to Die For...
By Fiona AL Williams
Bentham's philosophy on animals was: "The question is not can they reason? Nor can they talk? But could they suffer?" The torturing of animals for any reason is absolutely unacceptable but for the ‘benefit’ of our beauty, well that’s just stomach-churning. But when picking out your mascara or eyeliner, do you even stop to see what kind of makeup you are using? You could be supporting animal cruelty and not even know it. It was only in 2009 that any form of action was taken against such moral deviancies , when a ban of which still allowed companies to test for the most complex health risks on animals (including toxicities that could run the risk of cancer) was made. And then it took until the 11th of March 2013, to finally have it made illegal to market any cosmetic products in the EU that were involved with animal testing, regardless of where in the world the tests were carried out.
However, can you believe that over 80% of the world still allows animal testing for cosmetics? The biggest culprit being China because it is deemed ‘essential’ that imported products are tested on animals before they reach their blood soaked market. A group of people for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said, “At least 72 animals are used for each product, and 4,249 beauty and personal-care products were introduced in China over the past 12 months. The Mintel and PETA estimates would translate into more than 300,000 animals used in tests over the past year.” All of this just to win approval on the mainland.
The combination of a requirement to test cosmetics on animals to sell products in China, and a ban on testing to sell new cosmetics in the EU leaves companies in a bind — leaves companies being forced to choose between two contradictory requirements and be shut out of one market or the other.
Animal testing for cosmetic has even already been banned in counties such as Israel, and India, yet the
By Fiona AL Williams
Bentham's philosophy on animals was: "The question is not can they reason? Nor can they talk? But could they suffer?" The torturing of animals for any reason is absolutely unacceptable but for the ‘benefit’ of our beauty, well that’s just stomach-churning. But when picking out your mascara or eyeliner, do you even stop to see what kind of makeup you are using? You could be supporting animal cruelty and not even know it. It was only in 2009 that any form of action was taken against such moral deviancies , when a ban of which still allowed companies to test for the most complex health risks on animals (including toxicities that could run the risk of cancer) was made. And then it took until the 11th of March 2013, to finally have it made illegal to market any cosmetic products in the EU that were involved with animal testing, regardless of where in the world the tests were carried out.
However, can you believe that over 80% of the world still allows animal testing for cosmetics? The biggest culprit being China because it is deemed ‘essential’ that imported products are tested on animals before they reach their blood soaked market. A group of people for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said, “At least 72 animals are used for each product, and 4,249 beauty and personal-care products were introduced in China over the past 12 months. The Mintel and PETA estimates would translate into more than 300,000 animals used in tests over the past year.” All of this just to win approval on the mainland.
The combination of a requirement to test cosmetics on animals to sell products in China, and a ban on testing to sell new cosmetics in the EU leaves companies in a bind — leaves companies being forced to choose between two contradictory requirements and be shut out of one market or the other.
Animal testing for cosmetic has even already been banned in counties such as Israel, and India, yet the