Animal Testing on Cosmetics Banned in India

Last week India joined the European Union and Isreal in banning the use of animal tests for cosmetics! This is yet another great step forward when it comes to a future of animal friendly beauty!

A press release from the Humane Society International’s Be Cruelty-Free India campaign, put it best with –

The Bureau of Indian Standards has today approved the removal of any mention of animal tests from the country’s cosmetics standard. The use of modern non-animal alternative tests also becomes mandatory, replacing invasive tests on animals. This means that any manufacturer interested in testing new cosmetic ingredients or finished products must first seek approval from India’s Central Drug Standards Control Organisation. A manufacturer will be given approval to test only after complying with the BIS non-animal standards.

Similar to the ban on animal testing in the EU, it’s important to note that this is a great step but this is not the end of the fight against animal testing in India. Cosmetic ingredients sold in India and finished cosmetics sold in India may not be tested on animals. This is a huge victory! However, it is not a sales ban like what is in place in the EU. Currently, without a sales ban, ingredients produced outside of India can still be tested on animals and then imported into India. Products made elsewhere can be tested on animals and then imported into India as well.

In the press release from Humane Society International, Indian Member of Parliament Baijayant ‘Jay’ Panda, said: “This is a great day for India and for the thousands of animals who will no longer suffer, yet more work must be done. Our government must go a step further by banning cosmetics products that are tested on animals abroad and then imported and sold here in India. Only then will India demonstrate its commitment to compassion and modern, non-animal research methods and truly be cruelty free.”

There is already a push for a follow-up ban on selling cosmetics newly tested on animals in other parts of the world. In fact, Humane Society International is already on the case. Its Be Cruelty-Free India campaign is alreading calling for a sales ban to be introduced. A sales ban will prevent companies from outsourcing testing to third countries and importing the animal-tested beauty products back into India for sale. This is a campaign that is still going – this is just one important beginning step but not the end!

The ban on animal testing in India is very similar to that in the European Union. To learn more about the ban on cosmetic testing in the EU, and to find out what it does and does not cover, please read the following posts:

• What Does the EU Ban on Animal Testing Mean for Brands Selling Where Testing is Required by Law?
  
• How the EU Ban on Animal Testing is Effecting Brands – Shiseido
• Are Cosmetics in The EU Truly Cruelty Free?
• EU Confirms Ban on Animal Testing

This is still a huge step in the right direction! It shows that the voice of consumers is having an impact. It’s important to keep pushing for more brands to be animal friendly by not testing on animals or using ingredients that are animal derived!