Food giants caught in animal testing scandal

Rabbits, piglets and mice are being killed when heavily pregnant, injected with deadly bacteria and bled to death by food firms testing fashionable superfoods, it has emerged. The experiments involve food giants including KitKat maker Nestle, Unilever - the owners of PG tips - Knorr, Hellmann’s and Yakult, the maker of probiotic drinks. Companies like Unilever, Nestle, Yakult and Danone have allegedly been involved in 'sickening' tests on animals. A spokesman for Nestle said that Nestlé does not use animal testing to develop conventional foods and drinks, such as coffee, tea, cereal and chocolate. Unilever also said it does not test tea or tea-based products on animals.  If tests are required by law for safety reasons, they are kept to a minimum and carried out by third parties. (Daily mail, 2013)

Reference

Macrae, F. and Rowe, N. (2013) ‘Food giants caught in animal testing scandal’, Daily mail, 21 June, Available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2345276/Food-giants-Nestle-Unilever-caught-animal-testing-scandal.html (Accessed: 19 February, 2014)

An Ugly Dilemma for Beauty Companies

Lisa Lin claimed that China is the only major market where companies must test their mascaras and lotions on animals. That’s created a dilemma for Procter & Gamble that want to sell in the giant market without alienating consumers in countries where public sentiment frowns on such animal treatment.  Most of the companies need to devise separate formulations for China and Europe or produce China-only items. P&G gets about 18 percent of its annual sales from Asia by its products. P&G, the largest seller of beauty and personal-care products in China, chose it for the global launch of its Oceana skin-care brand in January and has introduced products there under the Pantene and Head & Shoulders lines. P&G, which says it doesn’t test on animals unless required by law, has discussed the benefits of non-animal trials with Chinese authorities, it said in a statement. (Business week, 2013)

Reference

Lin, L. (2013), ‘An Ugly Dilemma for Beauty Companies’, Business week, 26 September, Available at: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-09-26/cosmetics-makers-dilemma-animal-testing-rules-differ-in-china-europe (Accessed: 18 February, 2014)

Is This an Image of L’Oreal Bunny Testing?

Waffles (2013) discusses an image about animal testing that is alleged to have been used by L’Oreal during the process of testing. There are arguments that the L’Oreal is testing and that is why it was removed in PETA. However, there is little that can be found that links L’Oreal to the rabbit testing. L’Oreal in a rejoinder says that it only submits products for testing in China as mandated by the law and only tests a small portion about 1% of its products on mice and rats. Waffles argues that L’Oreal is faced with a dilemma of adhering to rules in China or its own policies.

Reference

Waffles (2013) ‘Is This an Image of L’Oreal Bunny Testing?’, 30 December, Available at: http://wafflesatnoon.com/2013/12/30/loreal-bunny-testing/ (Accessed: 17 February, 2014)

Beauty Brands and Companies That Do Not Use Animal Testing

Stefani Forster (2013) in this article said that since many of our beloved products are manufactured by large, international beauty giants like L'Oreal, the push for cruelty-free cosmetics is more elusive than you might think. Some governments, such as China, require (by law) that cosmetic products be tested on animals, and a global market often dictates a company’s policies. To L’Oreal, China is a big market for its products like make up, hair shampoo, skin care which decides that L’Oreal cannot give up this attractive opportunity for its expansion even though it may cause a dilemma of Animal Testing.

The video below is about China Animal Testing Complicates L’Oreal Expansion.

http://www.bloomberg.com/video/china-animal-testing-complicates-l-oreal-expansion-aHA3oZkkRPi84XFtW7~2CA.html

  

Reference

Forster, S. (2013) ‘Beauty Brands and Companies That Do Not Use Animal Testing’, Stylelist Canada, 19 June, Available at: http://www.stylelist.ca/2013/06/19/beauty-brands-companies-that-do-not-use-animal-testing/ (Accessed: 15 February, 2014)

Taking a humane look at cosmetics

Wei Xu and Lei Zhang (2013) claimed China is considering ways to reduce animal testing of cosmetics. The draft stated that cosmetics made from ingredients that have already been tested and classified as safe will be exempt from animal testing. L'Oreal, which recently expanded a factory in Hubei province into its largest production base in the Asia-Pacific region, has developed a Chinese EpiSkin model. It can provide solid technical support for the new EU regulations because it can be used as a replacement for human and animal tissue in some tests and the product has already been certified for use in Europe. However, the methods are still immature in terms of testing new ingredients in cosmetics, especially the methods of testing for chronic diseases. For some ‘special use’ products like hair dyes and sunscreens L’Oreal still need to test on animals to meet the Chinese laws.

Reference

Xu, W and Zhang, L. (2013) ‘Taking a humane look at cosmetics’, China Daily, 20 December, Available at: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/business/2013-12/20/content_17186590_4.htm (Accessed: 13 February, 2014 )

Teaching Tip: An Ethical Dilemma for Beauty Companies

Barry Render (2013) claimed that western cosmetics makers are ecstatic about the prospect of continued growth in China’s $32 billion beauty market. China is the only major market where companies must test their mascaras and lotions on animals. That’s created a dilemma for L’Oreal that want to sell in the giant market without alienating consumers in countries where public sentiment frowns on such animal treatment. L’Oreal isn’t about to turn away from China because it gets about 19% of its annual sales from Asia and companies’ shares have been rising as well. Those brands which refuse to do animal tests are blocked from the Chinese market entirely. L’Oreal in a statement said the company always abides with local regulations. Chinese consumer doesn’t think as much about ideals such as animal testing and they care about the price, the brand, and the product.

Reference

Render, B. (2013) ‘Teaching Tip: An Ethical Dilemma for Beauty Companies’, Heizerrenderom, 8 October, Available at: http://heizerrenderom.wordpress.com/2013/10/08/teaching-tip-an-ethical-dilemma-for-beauty-companies/ (Accessed: 12 February, 2014)

Is Your Beauty Worth the Lives of 11.5 Million Innocent Animals?

Jessica Ramos (2014) argues that an individual’s beauty is not worth the lives of 11.5 million innocent animals. In the article, the controversy surrounding the issue of animal testing is highlighted with a research that was conducted for the purpose of establishing the credibility of the animal testing argument. The author argues that large firm’s such as L’Oreal in their rush to enter China have argued that they do not engage in animal testing except when required by the law. However, the author argues that the company is known for not being transparent and therefore not committed to cruelty free products.

Reference:

Ramos, J. (2014) ‘Is Your Beauty Worth the Lives of 11.5 Million Innocent Animals?’ , Care2, 5 February, Available at: http://www.care2.com/causes/is-your-beauty-worth-the-lives-of-11-5-million-innocent-animals.html (Accessed: 10 February, 2014)

L'Oreal contributes to an important step towards validating alternative method in China

The experts from the multicenter study management group highly appraised that this multicenter study based on L’Oreal Chinese Episkin represents the very first validation of standardized and normative animal testing alternative methods in accordance with international standards in China, and this project provides a solid technical support for corresponding to the new regulation in European Union. It created a novel mode for making accordance with the international technical platform of animal testing alternative methods. More than thirty years of research on skin reconstruction and development of predictive methods have been recognized in this day and it is a great step towards the promotion of alternative methods in China by sharing knowledge and tools. This method has already allowed L’Oréal to comply with EU regulation without impact on sustainable innovation and safety and it won’t have any bad influence on L’Oreal expansion on Chinese market.  ( L’Oreal, 2013)

Reference

L’Oreal (2013) ‘L'Oreal contributes to an important step towards validating alternative method in China’, 14 November, Available at: http://www.loreal-finance.com/eng/news/research-innovation-926.htm (Accessed: 9 February, 2014)

The truth about L’Oreal

North Carolina (2012) points out that beauty product giant, L’Oreal, has made a lot of headlines like resuming animal testing to sell new products to the Chinese market but not in the most positive way. L’Oreal has found themselves in hot water with consumers who demand ethical practices and safer products. L’Oreal is the companies who have slyly claimed they are against unnecessary animal testing, while really meaning that they just did not have any need to do so at the time. They are aiming to sell new products in China, they have resumed animal testing, but are lamenting that their hands are tied and they have no other options. They’ve also been craftily stating that they haven’t tested “finished products” on animals since 1989, which really means that they still test ingredients on animals, just not the finished product.

Reference

Carolina, N. (2012) ‘The Truth About L'Oreal’, Beautylish, 11 June, Available at: http://www.beautylish.com/t/rxvzj/the-truth-about-loreal  (Accessed: 7 February, 2014)

China Animal Testing Complicates L’Oreal’s Expansion

While the EU prohibits animal testing, large multi-national beauty companies are facing the reverse challenge in China. In broad strokes, local regulations require such testing for new products introduced in the market, which at nearly 35 billion dollars is quickly becoming the most coveted in the world. Samples of all products must be submitted for testing at local levels. L’Oreal has taken similar stances on the matter – maintaining that animals trials are only conducted where mandated by law or when no other alternatives exist. L’Oreal emphasizes the fact that only 1 percent of its total safety tests involve animals, and that it operates a reconstructed sin lab in China for local tests. Everyone is reportedly ‘actively’ working with local authorities on alternative approval methods. The official government stance is that while there is no adversity to alternative testing, they to reach category expertise cannot be developed overnight. (Edited China, 2013)

Reference

Edited China (2013) ‘China Animal Testing Complicates L’Oreal’s Expansion’, 22 August, Available at: http://editedchina.com/post/59674196269/china-animal-testing-complicates-loreals (Accessed: 6 February, 2014)

Victory against cruelty: Animal test ban finally takes effect after 30 years

                                                                  An EU ban on animal testing has come into effect

Charlotte Meredith (2013) reported the victory for animal welfare campaigners comes after decades of protests against using animals to test the safety of toiletries. EU regulators announced the ban along with a pledge to make more efforts to push other parts of the world, like China, to accept alternatives. Before a ban on animal experiments in the EU in 2009, about 2,000 animals were still being used for testing in France, the Czech Republic, Spain and Romania. As a cosmetics company, L’Oreal has said that it would respect the ban and “no longer sell in Europe any finished product with an ingredient that was tested on animals. However, it doesn’t means they won’t sell their finished products without animal tasting in other countries besides EU like China. The RSPCA will now be taking its message to these countries and companies to ask them to follow our lead and end this suffering.

Reference

Meredith, C. (2013) ‘Victory against cruelty: Animal test ban finally takes effect after 30 years’, Express, 11 March, Available at: http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/383425/Victory-against-cruelty-Animal-test-ban-finally-takes-effect-after-30-years (Accessed: 4 February, 2014)

Behind the Brand: L’Oreal

Peter Salisbury (2011) wrote that in 2009, L’Oreal published a report on its sustainable practices, which repeated the claim that it does not test finished products on animals. In this report, L’Oreal said that it has not used animals to test its finished products since 1989, except in the case where national legislation requires it. This is the case in certain countries where L’Oreal operates and in those locations regulations require testing using animals before substances can be registered for commercial use. As L’Oreal operates on an international scale, it is obliged to comply with the current national legislation for products that are manufactured locally and sold locally. L’Oréal do face a tough set of choices; either innovate in order to maintain their market share, or use existing ingredients and allow less ethical competitors to launch new products, or continue developing within the limits of regional legislation.

Reference

Salisbury, P. (2011) ‘Behind the Brand: L’Oreal’, Ecologist, 10 August, Available at: http://www.theecologist.org/green_green_living/behind_the_label/1008667/behind_the_brand_loral.html (Accessed: 3 February, 2014)

China may change rules on animal tests for cosmetics

China is considering changing the rules to allow the sale of some cosmetics without requiring them to be tested on animals, opening up the mainland market to international firms opposed to the practice. Under the potential changes, “non-specialized cosmetics” manufactured in China — such as shampoos, soaps, nail products and some skin products — could be sold from June next year without undergoing animal testing, according to the China Food and Drug Administration. This may enable firms which do not allow the practice, such as British cosmetics retailer The Body Shop, owned by L’Oreal, to enter the country’s 134 billion yuan (US$22 billion) cosmetics market. The Body Shop welcomes the signals that the Chinese authorities are adopting a new approach to cosmetic testing. (China, 2013)

Reference:

China.org.cn (2013) ‘China may change rules on animal tests for cosmetics’, 14 November, Available at: http://www.china.org.cn/china/2013-11/14/content_30597257.htm (Accessed: 1 February, 2014)