Cruelty Free Companies Issue Plea To John Key

Twenty eight cosmetics companies from across New Zealand, including major brands such as LUSH, the Body Shop and Kiwi favourites Antipodes, Oasis Beauty and Sorbet, have issued a plea to Prime Minster John Key to ban animal testing for cosmetics in New Zealand.

In a joint open letter, the companies urge the Government to introduce a national test ban as part of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) review. The companies, all of which operate entirely without testing on animals, are supporting the Be Cruelty-Free New Zealand campaign led by SAFE and Humane Society International.

In the letter the companies say, “We are part of a thriving, innovative and successful New Zealand cosmetics industry that operates entirely without animal testing. Banning animal testing of cosmetics would be good for our industry, and good for consumers and animals alike.”

The letter follows the recent amendment introduced by Green MP Mojo Mather, which if it goes ahead will change the Animal Welfare Amendment Bill to include a prohibition on the use of animals in experiments relating to cosmetics.

SAFE’s campaign manager, Mandy Carter, said: “No one wants to see animals suffering for the sake of a new shampoo or lipstick. The fact that these companies are hugely successful without harming any animals just goes to show how unnecessary animal testing is. A ban is the right thing to do for humans and animals, and the review of the Animal Welfare Act is the perfect opportunity to make this happen.”

Animal testing for cosmetic products and ingredients has been banned in the EU, as well as Israel and India, with other countries considering similar moves in what is becoming a global trend towards cruelty-free beauty products.
A recent poll commissioned by SAFE revealed that over 88 per cent of New Zealanders want a ban on cosmetics testing on animals. Last week The Cosmetic Toiletry and Fragrance Association, which represents 112 member companies also stated their support for a ban.

In New Zealand animal testing for cosmetics is not explicitly banned. In cruel tests around the world, rabbits, guinea pigs and mice are most commonly used in eye and skin irritation tests as well as lethal toxicity tests in which the animals are fed massive doses of chemicals. Some of these tests were first developed in the 1940s and cannot be relied upon to guarantee consumer safety. Cruelty-free companies operate by combining use of long-established ingredients with modern, non-animal test methods.

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