Canada Bans Animal Testing for Cosmetics
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Canada has officially banned animal testing for cosmetics.
The country’s Budget Implementation Act, passed Thursday night, included an amendment to the Food and Drugs Act prohibiting testing cosmetics on animals in Canada. It also bans false and misleading labeling pertaining to the testing of cosmetics on animals.
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Jean-Yves Duclos, minister of health, government of Canada, said: “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.”
Brandi Halls, chief ethics officer at Lush Cosmetics, North America, welcomed the news, stating that there is no reason for “this ineffective, outdated and inhumane practice to continue anywhere in the world.” Instead, she highlighted that there are roughly 20,000 cosmetic ingredients that have already been established as safe, as well as a growing number of proven, nonanimal test methods that are “scientifically superior, faster and cheaper than their cruel alternatives.”
Hilary Lloyd, vice president of marketing and corporate responsibility, The Body Shop North America, said: “We applaud Minister Duclos and Health Canada 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 delivered over 625,000 signatures to Parliament Hill in 2018 calling for this change.”
Canada follows in Mexico’s footsteps, which passed a similar ban in 2021, and was the first country in North America to do so. According to the Humane Society International, in prohibiting cosmetics animal testing and trade, Canada now joins the European Union, United Kingdom, India, South Korea, Taiwan, New Zealand, Australia, Brazil and 43 other countries that have already enacted similar bans or restrictions.
“Paired with the Canadian government’s recent passage of historic measures to phase out all chemical toxicity testing on animals, this week’s victory positions Canada as a leader in advancing progressive, compassionate science,” Kitty Block, chief executive officer of the Humane Society, explained.
As for the U.S., she added that the organization has helped to ensure passage of 10 state-level bans on the sale of cosmetics that have been newly tested on animals with another bill heading to the governor in Oregon for her approval, but there is more to be done.
“Despite our tireless advocacy and substantial industry support, this worthy measure has yet to become law. After Canada’s and Mexico’s progress in this area for animals, it’s clear there’s a country sorely lagging behind in North America,” she said.
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