Unilever has announced its support for a worldwide ban on animal testing of cosmetics, in collaboration with animal protection organisation Humane Society International (HSI).
HSI has launched a global initiative, #BeCrueltyFree, to prohibit testing of cosmetics on animals in key beauty markets, consistent with the EU model.
The chief research and development officer at Unilever, David Blanchard, commented, “Animal testing for cosmetics has been banned in the EU since 2013, and we hope that an adoption of similar bans in other countries will accelerate the regulatory acceptance of alternative approaches, and thereby remove any requirements for any animal testing for cosmetics anywhere in the world.”
Both organisations will collaborate to develop capabilities across companies and regulatory authorities to ensure that safety decisions for cosmetics are based on non-animal approaches.
The initiative also aims to train future safety scientists in next-generation, non-animal risk assessment methods.
Cruelty-Free Accreditation
Unilever has also announced that its beauty and personal-care brand, Dove, has gained cruelty-free accreditation from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
It is an outcome of the brand’s commitment to refrain from conducting tests on animals anywhere in the world.
Starting in January 2019, PETA’s cruelty-free logo will also be added to Dove’s packaging.
PETA is set to list Unilever as a ‘company working for regulatory change’ in recognition of its efforts to come up with alternatives to animal testing, and its commitment to promoting their adoption on a global level.
This listing will indicate that Unilever conducts no tests on animals unless specifically required by law for any of its brands or products.
Other Initiatives
Unilever has more than 30 years of experience in developing non-animal approaches for assuring product safety, and it has been collaborating with more than 50 partners across the world, including governments and NGOs.
“We’re very hopeful that through collaboration – among companies, NGOs and governments – it will soon be possible to assess the safety of all cosmetics products without any need for animal testing anywhere in the world,” Blanchard added.
The company has openly shared its scientific expertise and approaches with interested stakeholders.
It has also offered to collaborate with a broader range of stakeholders on a global scale to share its safety assessment approaches.
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
