Taiwan Urged to Join Asia’s Trend Toward Banning Cosmetics Animal Testing, as Vietnam and China make Inroads in the Cruelty-Free Movement
TAIPEI (30 June 2014) - Be Cruelty-Free campaigners from the Taiwan Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals are urging Taiwan legislators to take decisive action to join Asia’s growing trend towards banning cruel animal testing for cosmetic products and ingredients. Their call comes as China implements an historic change to its domestic cosmetics regulation - from today Chinese cosmetics companies will be allowed to manufacture ordinary cosmetics without being legally required to test them on animals. The TSPCA says it marks a hugely significant milestone in China’s journey towards ending cosmetics animal testing, and should encourage countries like Taiwan and Korea to end such testing too.
Testing cosmetics on rabbits, guinea pigs and other animals is already banned throughout the European Union, Norway, Israel and India. Thanks to Be Cruelty-Free campaigning, there are also legislative Bills for a test and/or sales ban in Australia, Brazil, New Zealand and the United States.
But now countries across Asia are also moving towards cruelty-free cosmetics. This month India proposed to strengthen its test ban with a ban on the sale of animal-tested cosmetics too, and the Vietnam government announced a complete ban on the cruel Draize rabbit eye test for cosmetics. Now, China has removed mandatory animal testing for domestically-produced cosmetics, its first cosmetics regulatory change in more than 20 years.
Connie Chiang of TSPCA for Be Cruelty-Free Taiwan said: “Here in Taiwan it is still permitted for animals to suffer in cruel and scientifically discredited eye, skin and oral toxicity tests for cosmetics. This is completely out of step with the growing global trend towards ending such testing. In the past China has been assumed to be a hurdle in achieving a global end to cosmetics cruelty, but here we see China taking an important step towards ending animal testing for beauty products, and across Asia generally, countries are taking action. We don’t want Taiwan to be left behind so we want a Taiwanese ban as soon as possible. But it’s important that policy makers support robust legislation, as a ban with loopholes won’t help animals at all. Be Cruelty-Free Taiwan is part of the largest campaign in the world to end cosmetics animal testing, with experts who were instrumental in achieving the EU and India bans, so we are best placed to advise on a Bill that Taiwan can be proud of on the world stage.”
Cosmetics regulation in Taiwan does not require animal testing for non-medicated beauty products. However, some companies may continue to conduct a range of animal tests for new chemical ingredients in cosmetics. Rabbits and other animals have chemicals rubbed onto their shaved skin or dripped into their eyes, even force fed to them in massive lethal doses. But in recent years scientists have increasingly recognised the scientific disadvantages of these outdated tests.
Troy Seidle, HSI’s director of research & toxicology, and a globally recognized expert in non-animal testing, said: “Some of these animal tests were first developed in the 1940s, making them extremely outdated and unfit to offer reliable levels of consumer safety. One key problem with animal tests is that rabbits and mice have important physiological and biochemical differences to people, such that they simply don’t react to chemicals in the same ways that we do. Using them to assess whether a cosmetic might be safe for humans is like playing Russian Roulette with consumer health and so governments around the world are advised to move quickly to remove them from cosmetics regulation. By contrast, modern non-animal test methods have been scientifically validated to the highest international standards, and when used in combination with the thousands of existing ingredients already established as safe, they provide a way to assess cosmetics safety that is faster, cheaper, more reliable and more ethical than animal testing.”
The Be Cruelty-Free campaign is driving forward change across the world, working at the highest levels with governments, regulators and legislators, as well as funding hands-on training for scientists in non-animal test methods.
Emily McIvor, HSI policy director to the Be Cruelty-Free campaign, says Taiwan legislators must choose wisely when crafting a Bill to ensure an effective ban. McIvor was instrumental in helping to achieve the EU ban on animal-tested cosmetics, and was awarded the prestigious Henry Spira Award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to animal welfare, as well as the LUSH ‘Special’ Prize.
Emily McIvor said: “Taiwan has an opportunity here to very swiftly and easily ban animal testing for regular cosmetics and I think it would be well advised to do so for the benefit of consumer and animal welfare. This would very sensibly follow the precedent that we have established in the EU, Israel and India, and that is also under development elsewhere. Not only would Taiwan be embracing the Asian trend towards cruelty-free, but globally it would position itself to benefit from undisrupted trade and ensure that Taiwan’s cosmetics companies can sell in the EU market.”
Taiwan’s consumers can show their support for an end to cosmetics animal testing in Taiwan and globally by going online and signing a Be Cruelty-Free pledge. Be Cruelty-Free Taiwan recently held a star-studded cruelty-free pamper party in Taipei at which legislators, celebrities, beauty writers and cosmetics companies gathered to learn more about the global campaign. Images available through the media contact below.
Humane Society International and its partner organisations together constitute one of the world's largest animal protection organisations. For nearly 20 years, HSI has been working for the protection of all animals through the use of science, advocacy, education and hands-on programmes. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty worldwide — on the Web at hsi.org/becrueltyfree
TAIPEI (30 June 2014) - Be Cruelty-Free campaigners from the Taiwan Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals are urging Taiwan legislators to take decisive action to join Asia’s growing trend towards banning cruel animal testing for cosmetic products and ingredients. Their call comes as China implements an historic change to its domestic cosmetics regulation - from today Chinese cosmetics companies will be allowed to manufacture ordinary cosmetics without being legally required to test them on animals. The TSPCA says it marks a hugely significant milestone in China’s journey towards ending cosmetics animal testing, and should encourage countries like Taiwan and Korea to end such testing too.
Testing cosmetics on rabbits, guinea pigs and other animals is already banned throughout the European Union, Norway, Israel and India. Thanks to Be Cruelty-Free campaigning, there are also legislative Bills for a test and/or sales ban in Australia, Brazil, New Zealand and the United States.
But now countries across Asia are also moving towards cruelty-free cosmetics. This month India proposed to strengthen its test ban with a ban on the sale of animal-tested cosmetics too, and the Vietnam government announced a complete ban on the cruel Draize rabbit eye test for cosmetics. Now, China has removed mandatory animal testing for domestically-produced cosmetics, its first cosmetics regulatory change in more than 20 years.
Connie Chiang of TSPCA for Be Cruelty-Free Taiwan said: “Here in Taiwan it is still permitted for animals to suffer in cruel and scientifically discredited eye, skin and oral toxicity tests for cosmetics. This is completely out of step with the growing global trend towards ending such testing. In the past China has been assumed to be a hurdle in achieving a global end to cosmetics cruelty, but here we see China taking an important step towards ending animal testing for beauty products, and across Asia generally, countries are taking action. We don’t want Taiwan to be left behind so we want a Taiwanese ban as soon as possible. But it’s important that policy makers support robust legislation, as a ban with loopholes won’t help animals at all. Be Cruelty-Free Taiwan is part of the largest campaign in the world to end cosmetics animal testing, with experts who were instrumental in achieving the EU and India bans, so we are best placed to advise on a Bill that Taiwan can be proud of on the world stage.”
Cosmetics regulation in Taiwan does not require animal testing for non-medicated beauty products. However, some companies may continue to conduct a range of animal tests for new chemical ingredients in cosmetics. Rabbits and other animals have chemicals rubbed onto their shaved skin or dripped into their eyes, even force fed to them in massive lethal doses. But in recent years scientists have increasingly recognised the scientific disadvantages of these outdated tests.
Troy Seidle, HSI’s director of research & toxicology, and a globally recognized expert in non-animal testing, said: “Some of these animal tests were first developed in the 1940s, making them extremely outdated and unfit to offer reliable levels of consumer safety. One key problem with animal tests is that rabbits and mice have important physiological and biochemical differences to people, such that they simply don’t react to chemicals in the same ways that we do. Using them to assess whether a cosmetic might be safe for humans is like playing Russian Roulette with consumer health and so governments around the world are advised to move quickly to remove them from cosmetics regulation. By contrast, modern non-animal test methods have been scientifically validated to the highest international standards, and when used in combination with the thousands of existing ingredients already established as safe, they provide a way to assess cosmetics safety that is faster, cheaper, more reliable and more ethical than animal testing.”
The Be Cruelty-Free campaign is driving forward change across the world, working at the highest levels with governments, regulators and legislators, as well as funding hands-on training for scientists in non-animal test methods.
Emily McIvor, HSI policy director to the Be Cruelty-Free campaign, says Taiwan legislators must choose wisely when crafting a Bill to ensure an effective ban. McIvor was instrumental in helping to achieve the EU ban on animal-tested cosmetics, and was awarded the prestigious Henry Spira Award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to animal welfare, as well as the LUSH ‘Special’ Prize.
Emily McIvor said: “Taiwan has an opportunity here to very swiftly and easily ban animal testing for regular cosmetics and I think it would be well advised to do so for the benefit of consumer and animal welfare. This would very sensibly follow the precedent that we have established in the EU, Israel and India, and that is also under development elsewhere. Not only would Taiwan be embracing the Asian trend towards cruelty-free, but globally it would position itself to benefit from undisrupted trade and ensure that Taiwan’s cosmetics companies can sell in the EU market.”
Taiwan’s consumers can show their support for an end to cosmetics animal testing in Taiwan and globally by going online and signing a Be Cruelty-Free pledge. Be Cruelty-Free Taiwan recently held a star-studded cruelty-free pamper party in Taipei at which legislators, celebrities, beauty writers and cosmetics companies gathered to learn more about the global campaign. Images available through the media contact below.
Humane Society International and its partner organisations together constitute one of the world's largest animal protection organisations. For nearly 20 years, HSI has been working for the protection of all animals through the use of science, advocacy, education and hands-on programmes. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty worldwide — on the Web at hsi.org/becrueltyfree
