A cruelty-free future is looking brighter than ever!
On September 16, the European Parliament passed a historic resolution to end animal testing. The resolution demands the European Commission to develop an action plan to phase out all experiments on animals.
According to the Humane Society International, roughly 10 million animals, including mice, rats, rabbits, primates, cats, and dogs, are currently used in invasive experiments in EU laboratories annually. The animals remain locked inside barren cages in laboratories languished in pain, suffering from frustration, aching with loneliness, and longing to be free.
The Resolution
The vote was almost unanimous – 667 voted in favor of the anti-animal testing resolution, while four were against it.
The resolution prioritizes the shift towards scientific methods that don’t involve experimenting on animals, including education, regulatory testing, and research. In addition, it also urges additional funding for animal-free research.
The historic decision follows years of lobbying from the Vegan charity – People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). The nonprofit claims it has 6.5 million supporters worldwide.
Unreliable Methods
During this lobbying, PETA introduced its ‘Research Modernization Deal’ to Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).
The deal highlights that these animal tests don’t predict human reactions reliably. For example, the Center for Contemporary Sciences (CCS) claims over 90% of drugs and vaccines that passed animal tests failed during human clinical trials.
Alternative Methods
With this in mind, researchers have developed alternative methods, including human blood cells, human organs grown in a lab, human chip models, and virtual humans. Scientists also use AI and 3D printing of human living tissues in tests. An example of lab-grown cells to produce human tissue that can be used as an alternative to animal testing is seen in the photo below.
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A press release from the CCS points out that these approaches are promising since they’re based on human biology and are more relevant to humans than hairy four-legged creatures. They also have the potential to be rolled out faster and cheaper than animal-based experiments.
Ingrid Newkirk, the founder of PETA, stresses that if we reject such methods, we would ‘fall behind scientifically.’
Countries Ban Cosmetic Animal Testing
While some of the experimentation conducted on animals is mandatory by law, most of it isn’t. In addition, several countries have already implemented bans on the testing of certain types of consumer goods on animals.
Today, there are over forty countries that have passed laws to limit or ban cosmetics animal testing, including several states in Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, the U.K., Switzerland, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, Iceland, Norway, and every country in the European Union.
However, despite bans that outlawed such testing years ago, a recent analysis revealed that hundreds of cosmetic products sold in the U.K. and Europe still contain ingredients that have been tested on animals. Banned tests were made on ingredients used in products, including lipsticks, sunscreen, moisturizers, and hair conditioner, with over 100 separate experiments executed on rabbits and mice.
A New Era
Dr. Aysha Akhtar, the Co-founder and CEO of the CCS highlighted:
There is an urgent scientific need to move away from unreliable animal testing and use more predictive models that are based on human biology.
Dr. Akhtar added that these novel methods represent a ‘new era in medical research’ that could ‘revolutionize human health.’ “We applaud the European Parliament for taking this leadership role and encourage other nations, including the U.S., to do the same,” Dr. Akhtar said.
Jytte Guteland, a Swedish MEP, said:
It is now in the hands of the European Commission to establish this EU-wide Action Plan, and we expect the Commission will make this a high-level priority. If the Commission is serious about its commitments to EU citizens, it needs to start now the dialogue with all parties to effectively coordinate funding, education, and milestones to accelerate the transition to non-animal science.
Brands Go Cruelty-Free
Some haircare brands that are opting for non-animal-based testing methods include TRESemmé and Garnier.
TRESemmé
In May, haircare giant TRESemmé announced it had banned animal testing worldwide. PETA approved TRESemmé under its ‘Beauty Without Bunnies’ list. The database confirmed that the company doesn’t test on any animals, certifying its products cruelty-free.
PETA explained:
Before you shop, always make sure that the products you’re choosing are from the more than 5,300 companies in our Global Beauty Without Bunnies searchable database of companies that don’t test on animals.
Our list of companies and brands that don’t test on animals is used by millions of consumers. It’s an essential resource when shopping for personal-care products, and we want you to use it, too.
However, not all TRESemmé’s products are suitable for vegans; some contain animal-derived ingredients like honey, milk, silk, and lanolin.
The haircare brand wrote on Instagram:
Own your style without testing on animals. TRESemmé is approved by PETA worldwide.
Garnier
In March, rival beauty brand Garnier received ‘cruelty-free accreditation’ after withdrawing from the Chinese market. Cruelty-Free International officially approved Garnier under its ‘Leaping Bunny program,’ which guarantees a product is free of new animal testing.
Michelle Thew, the CEO of Cruelty-Free International, said:
Garnier is a global brand familiar to us all. To work with them to help end animal testing for cosmetics and declare them officially approved under the Cruelty-Free International Leaping Bunny Programme is a real milestone.
The program is a globally recognized gold standard for cruelty-free personal care, cosmetics, household, and cleaning products. It guarantees brands are ‘genuinely committed to removing animal testing from its supply chain’ entirely.
