The U.K. is Considering Going Back to Testing on Animals While China Progresses Against It
A lot of beauty brands have pulled their businesses out of China due to animal testing. On May 1st, 2021, however, China finally announced that it will no longer be testing beauty products on animals. Even though the first world countries have always been aligned in terms of their stance when it comes to cruelty-free makeup, however, the dynamics in the UK have changed after BREXIT.
After almost 23 years, the UK is starting to consider re-testing on animals to ensure maximum safety. Though many would see this as a backward step when it comes to animal cruelty and ethics, the UK government has its point of view. According to the letter issued by the UK Government, the UK is expected to align itself with the decision of ECHA (European Chemical Agency) which states that some specific ingredients must be tested on animals.
Why is the UK is falling out of line now?
As part of the European Union, the UK was obligated to follow the union regulations, but after BREXIT, the UK has had the chance to decide for itself. The ECHA verdict identifies two ingredients that need to be tested to ensure safety. One of the ingredients is manufactured by German Fragrance and flavor manufacturer Symrise. To ensure the safety of the users ECHA believes that it is imperative to test these ingredients on animals. However, it should not be a surprise for anyone that the idea received a lot of backlash from PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and CFI (Cruelty-free International).
Government officials have ensured the campaigners that the ruling does not mean changes in the UK Laws. The amendment only refers to those specific two ingredients and will not be followed in any other scenario. On the other hand, campaigners believe that the ruling can open new avenues for conducting animal testing
What will be the future of UK beauty products?
In the era where consumers always read the ingredients before purchasing a product, words like ‘Cruelty-Free‘ and ‘Vegan’ have a standing in the consumers’ minds. So, we can only surmise that animal testing will be a big blow to the UK’s progress.
Not only do these words add a lot of weight to the product, in addition, these words are often used by Brands as their USP (Unique Selling Point) and their whole brand identity revolves around this idea.
Will you ever buy a product that has been tested on animals unethically? If your answer is ‘No’, then you are part of the 98% of the population who feels the same way. In the long run, this ruling could not only affect the progress of the UK adversely but could also lay a negative impact on its £30 billion beauty industry.
The UK government should come up with an alternate plan of action to ensure the safety of its beauty products. Now is the time for the UK to make its policies as a free agent and send a message to the world of its identity. Every step they take at this time is crucial for how they will be perceived by the rest of the world for years to come.
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