Rabbits and other lab animals will heave a sigh of relief now that the Health
Ministry has committed itself to adopt the European model, refusing to approve
the marketing of local and imported cosmetics whose ingredients or end results
have been tested on animals before production.
The ministry said on
Thursday that it supports a private member’s bill presented by MKs Eitan Cabel
(Labor), Dov Henin (Hadash), Nitzan Horowitz (Meretz), Yoel Hasson (Kadima) and
Ronit Tirosh (Kadima), which would amend the Pharmacists’ Law to prohibit the
sales of such cosmetics. There are simulations and other testing means today
that make such animal experimentation – and the pain of having cosmetics placed
on the corneas of animals’ eyes – unnecessary.
RELATED:TA cosmetics company shut down by health authorities Iran: Cosmetics queen of the Middle East The amendment would come
into effect on January 1, 2015, if it is passed, to give time to cosmetics
companies to prepare for its implementation. The ministry said it would
recognize alternate lab tests not involving animal testing to ensure that the
cosmetics are not toxic but safe for human use, as the European Union has
already done.
Cabel and other MKs noted that animal testing of cosmetics
– as well as of cleaning products – causes terrible suffering to helpless
creatures. The amendment would give the health minister the power to require
labels stating that the cosmetics were not tested on animals. A similar
prohibition of marketing cleaning products that were tested on animals could
follow