The FDA requires that most new drugs and any potentially toxic ingredients be tested on animals before they can be released onto the market.
The testing of animals for household and cosmetic products, however, is not required if pre-approved ingredient are used.
Manufacturers of household products and cosmetics are only required to perform animal testing if they decide to use new and untested ingredients or want to use claims like “antibacterial” or “germ-killing.”
There are more than 8,000 chemical ingredients established as safe for household use and thousands of pre-approved raw ingredients for cosmetics.
Products using any of these ingredients do not require animal testing.
It is irresponsible and unnecessary for a company to decide that they want to develop new ingredients when so many cruelty-free ingredients already exist.
The federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the only law protecting animals used in experimentation.
The AWA regulates food and water, cleanliness and cage sizes. Facilities that test on animals are inspected twice a year and veterinarians must be consulted for any procedure that may cause pain or distress to the animals.
The problem with the AWA is that it does not apply to rats, mice, birds and reptiles. These types of animals make up the majority of animals in laboratories.
Many of these animals are able to reason, feel pain, and experience stress just like the other protected animals that are used in experiments.
There are simply not enough laws in place to protect them.
To ensure that animal experimentation is ethical, better treatment and pain management of ALL animals used must be a priority.
