Chile and Canada officially ban animal testing amid international industry support

10 Jan 2024 --- Chile becomes the fourth country in LATAM to ban animal testing and trade, while Canada’s ban officially becomes law.

The Chilean Senate, chaired by Juan Antonio Coloma, votes unanimously to ban cosmetic animal testing officially. The approved bill prohibits the manufacturing, import and marketing of cosmetics tested on animals elsewhere in the world. 

Passed on December 20, this bill follows a multi-year campaign led by Humane Society International (HSI) and Te Protejo, a non-profit promoting personal care and hygiene products not tested on animals.

The bill includes several key provisions to end animal use for safety and efficacy tests in cosmetic, hygiene and personal care products. 

Manufacturers, importers and marketers must use alternative methods recognized by the Institute of Public Health or the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. The institute may grant exceptions under specific circumstances.

Additionally, the bill establishes guidelines for using terms such as “cruelty-free” or “not tested on animals,” with specifications to be defined by the Cosmetic Products Control Regulations.

International industry support
The global initiative, Animal-Free Safety Assessment Collaboration, played an essential role in supporting the bill, highlights HSI. Corporate and non-profit leaders, including industry giants like Lush, Unilever, Avon, L’Oreal and Procter & Gamble, joined forces with the Chilean cosmetics industry association Camera Cosmetica and other cosmetic and chemical manufacturers.

Senator Juan Luis Castro, president of the Health Commission, hails the legislation as a “historic step forward” for animal protection.“Thanks to the passion and determination of animal-loving consumers, progressive beauty brands, and politicians across the globe who share our desire for a cruelty-free world, animal testing for cosmetics has been banned in 45 countries,” comments Daniela Benavides Sanchez, Humane Society International country director for Chile. 

“HSI and our partners have been instrumental in securing many of these bans, including Brazil, Mexico, Canada, India, South Korea and Australia. Today, we are delighted to welcome Chile to this list of nations and commend Juan Antonio Coloma and members of the Senate for making the landmark legislation a reality.”

Animal protection advancement
Senator Juan Luis Castro, president of the Health Commission, hailed the legislation as a “historic step forward” for animal protection. He emphasized that the move aligns with global efforts to eliminate cosmetic animal testing and praised the unwavering support of Te Protejo and Humane Society International.

“We are pleased that we have taken a step in the right direction for animal protection so that cosmetics will never be tested on animals again in Chile,” he adds.

The legislation decision comes at the heels of the HSI’s stop-motion animated short film, #SaveRalph. The film depicts the “heartbreaking” story of a rabbit used in testing. 

“Upon its launch in 2021, the HSI film went viral worldwide, with over 150 million social media views, over 865 million tags on TikTok, and generated more than 300,000 petition signatures in Chile,” details the NGO.

The President of the Republic of Chile is expected to sign the bill into law and publish it in the Official Gazette, positioning Chile as a leader in cruelty-free cosmetics. The ban will go into effect 12 months after it is officially published, ushering in a new era for Chile’s cosmetics industry and its dedication to moral and humane business practices.

Canada ends animal-tested cosmetics
Canada’s ban on cosmetics animal testing and trade is now official. 

The Budget Implementation Act (Bill C-47) was passed last June. It also prohibits selling cosmetics that rely on new animal testing data for product safety, including false or misleading labels on cosmetics tested on animals.

Canada’s ban on cosmetics animal testing and trade is now official.Cruelty Free International’s Monica Engebretson, “applaud[s] the Canadian government for fulfilling the wishes of the vast majority of its citizens, who have long supported this ban. This was a unifying issue that earned cross-party support in Canada and matches the progress we are seeing around the world as consumers, companies, regulators and advocates come together to achieve a common goal of ensuring that animals won’t suffer for the sake of cosmetics anywhere.”

“Now we hope that the US follows their neighbours’ lead by passing the Humane Cosmetics Act. Over one third of US residents already live in states which have their own cruelty-free cosmetics laws, and a federal law is long overdue.”

Hilary Lloyd, VP of Marketing and Corporate Responsibility at The Body Shop North America, adds: “We applaud the government for bringing forth this legislation and thank all who have made this change possible, notably our partners at Cruelty Free International and The Body Shop’s passionate retail teams and activist customers, who marched on Parliament Hill in 2018 and collected over 925,000 signatures calling for this change.”

Efforts to end cruelty-free cosmetics
In September, a bipartisan delegation led by a group of US congressmen reintroduced the Humane Cosmetics Act, prohibiting the sale of cosmetic products developed using animal testing in the country.

The act is to be reviewed in Congress, which, if passed by a majority vote, would lead to a US-wide prohibition of animal-tested cosmetics one year after its enactment.

In March, Brazil partially outlawed the use of animals in trials for perfumes, cosmetics and personal hygiene items. However, HSI warned the nation’s import of cosmetics leaves leeway for animal-tested cosmetics.

In Europe, the Commission responded to a European Citizens’ Initiative that petitions against animal cruelty. The governing body targets three main goals: “To protect and strengthen the cosmetics animal testing ban, transform EU chemicals legislation and modernize science in the EU.”

Despite this commitment, the EU General Court rejected Symrise’s appeal to avoid animal testing on two ingredients — already approved and used exclusively in sunscreens — under REACH requirements.

By Venya Patel