Good News! India Bans Import of Cosmetics Tested on Animals
A huge victory for animals – the Indian government has just announced a ban on the import of animal-tested cosmetics!
This news comes after intensive efforts by PETA India, Union Minister Maneka Gandhi and others and will save millions of animals from being blinded, poisoned and killed in cruel and useless tests for products sold to India’s billion-plus population. The India Ministry of Health and Family Welfare made its decision public in The Gazette of India today and will implement the ban in November.
The compassionate move brings India up to speed with the European Union and Israel, which have already banned the sale and marketing of animal-tested cosmetics. Earlier this year, animal testing for cosmetics was banned in India. Now, companies that want to sell cosmetics in the country won’t be able to conduct cruel tests elsewhere, either.
Just last month, it looked like the existing ban on animal testing for cosmetics could be under threat from a group of international companies – including NIVEA, Johnson & Johnson and L’Oréal – which are members of the Indian Beauty & Hygiene Association. Thank you to everyone who wrote to these companies to help make sure that didn’t happen.
Congratulations to PETA India and everyone else who was involved in achieving this immense victory for animals. It’s a message to the whole world that India will not tolerate blinding bunnies for shampoo, mascara and other such products – and this ruling now gives an upper hand to businesses that use superior, human-relevant, non-animal testing methods.
