Ban On Testing Cosmetics On Animals In India Now Permanent
For Immediate Release:
24 May 2014
Contact:
Ben Williamson +44 (0) 20 7837 6327, ext 229; [email protected]
PETA India Urges Government to Ban Sales of Cosmetics Tested on Animals, Too
London – Following the removal of animal tests from the cosmetics testing standards by the PCD 19 Cosmetics Sectional Committee of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) last year, the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare has now published the final Gazette of India notification, which adds the new rule “148-C. prohibition of testing of cosmetics on animals – No person shall use any animal for testing of cosmetics” to the existing Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945. This marks a significant victory for animals in India, because while standards under the BIS can undergo change, this addition to the law means that any changes made can never include animal tests. And because the definition of “cosmetics” under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, includes any article intended for use as a component of cosmetic, the ban on animal testing would apply to ingredients, too. The removal of animal tests from the standards and this progress follows an intense campaign by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India and work by MP Maneka Gandhi and others.
“This landmark law will ensure not only that the lives of countless animals are spared but also that only human-relevant, modern, non-animal testing methods are used to assess the safety of cosmetics products in the country”, says PETA UK’s Mimi Bekhechi. “Because animal-tested cosmetics can still be sold in India, however, PETA India and its international affiliates are now urging the government to ban the sale of cosmetics if they or their ingredients have been tested on animals. Such a move would bring India in line with the European Union and Israel, nations that have already banned the sale of animal-tested cosmetics.”
Recently, India’s Ministry of Health & Family Welfare published a draft notification to further amend the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, which if passed would ban the import of cosmetics that have been tested on animals anywhere in the world. If introduced, the new rule may state, “135-B. Import of cosmetics tested on animals prohibited. – No cosmetic tested on animals shall be imported”.
During cosmetics tests, harsh chemicals may be dripped into rabbits’ eyes, smeared onto animals’ abraded skin or forced down their throats.
To support the draft imports ban, the public may send comments to the Secretary of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. Comments may be submitted up to 18 June 2014.
For more information on deadly animal testing, please visit PETA.org.uk.
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