Ministry supports ban on cosmetics tested on animals

Rabbits and other lab animals will heave a sigh of relief now that the Health Ministry has committed itself to adopt the European model.

By JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH
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


Related Tags
Nitzan Horowitz
eitan cabel