China to phase out mandatory cosmetics animal testing

This is a good month for animal welfare. Firstly, China’s Food & Drug Administration has announced that from June 2014, China plans to remove its mandatory animal test requirements for domestically manufactured cosmetic products.

For the first time ever, Chinese companies producing ‘non-special use cosmetics’ such as shampoo or perfume will have the option to substantiate product safety using existing safety data for raw ingredients, or European Union-validated non-animal tests instead of having to submit product samples to the government for testing on rabbits, mice and rats.

Humane Society International (HSI) has been campaigning in China and their work has been supported by the Lush Prize, which they won in 2012. They estimate that as many as 300,000 rabbits, mice and other animals may be subject to cosmetics chemical testing each year in China alone.

Troy Seidle of HSI said the news marks a major milestone and this development is only the beginning of what he hopes to be a ‘paradigm shift’ towards 21st-century science without animals. ‘It looks like there could at last be a bright future for cruelty-free companies in China and hope on the horizon for an end to cosmetics cruelty’, he said.

Secondly, the Lush Prize are due to award £250,000 to groups and individuals at the forefront of the fight against animal testing. Find out how you can get involved by coming along to our free event or watching the awards ceremony from the comfort of your own home.

 

Article source: http://www.hsi.org/news/press_releases/2013/11/china_phase_out_animal_tests_110713.html

 

(the picture is by Carly & Art on flickr)