Canada Bans Animal Testing

The Canadian Government passed measures through the Budget Implementation Act (Bill C-47) to prohibit testing cosmetics on animals in Canada. In addition to banning cosmetics animal testing, the amendments will also prohibit selling cosmetics that rely on new animal testing data to establish the product’s safety, and false or misleading labelling pertaining to the testing of cosmetics on animals.

“Testing cosmetics on animals is both cruel and unnecessary. That is why we are proud to move forward on our promise to ban cosmetic animal testing and trade. Protecting animals now and in the future is something many Canadians have been advocating for and now, we can all be assured that cosmetics in Canada are cruelty-free, and we will continue to take all necessary measures to improve animal welfare, said Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Health, Government of Canada, in a statement.

Animal protection advocates such as the Humane Society International/Canada, Animal Alliance Canada and Cruelty Free International, together with Cosmetics Alliance Canada and Lush Cosmetics, applauded the move.

“After years of campaigning efforts, we are thrilled that the Canadian government has put an end to animal testing for cosmetics. Today, there are roughly 20,000 cosmetic ingredients that have already been established as safe, as well as a growing number of proven, non-animal test methods that are scientifically superior, faster and cheaper than their cruel alternatives. There is no reason for this ineffective, outdated, and inhumane practice to continue anywhere in the world,” said Brandi Halls, chief ethics officer at Lush Cosmetics, North America.