Ban animal testing: PETA

Supporters of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, wearing rabbit costumes, gathered at Central Park in Connaught Place on Friday to show their objection against testing products on animals.

The animal rights group asked the Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry to ban marketing and sale of animal-tested cosmetics and household products.

PETA said such a move will place India in line with the European Union, which has banned the sale of animal-tested cosmetics, and Israel, which has banned the sale of all cosmetics and household products like cleaners and soaps that are tested on animals.

“The testing standards for cosmetics and household products in India no longer include animal tests, so why should animal-tested cosmetics and household products be sold here?” PETA India Science Policy Adviser Chaitanya Koduri said.

“Consumers want to be confident that the products they are buying did not blind rabbits or poison mice.”

According to PETA, the Bureau of Indian Standards committees that determine what tests are required for cosmetics and household products have removed animal tests from the relevant standards.

The Drugs Technical Advisory Board under the Health and Family Welfare Ministry also recommended that there should be a ban on the import of cosmetics tested on animals, Koduri said.

“Despite the availability of non-animal tests and ingredients, companies still choose to subject animals to experiments where substances are dripped into their eyes, smeared on their skin, sprayed in their faces or forced down their throats,” he added. “Because of the vast physiological differences between humans and animals, the results are misleading.”

According to PETA, over 1,300 companies around the world have banned animal tests. The World Lab Animal Day is observed on April 24. The week from April 20 to 26 is also known as World Week for Animals In Laboratories.