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no animal testing
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| LABEL REPORT CARD |
| How meaningful is the label? |
Is the label verified? |
Is the meaning of the label consistent? |
Are the label standards publicly available? |
Is information about the organization publicly available? |
Is the organization free from conflict of interest? |
Was the label developed with broad public and industry input? |
| Not |
No |
No |
No |
No1 |
No2 |
No |
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1. There is no organization that has established standards for this label
2. The producer or manufacturer decides whether to use the claim and is not free from its own self-interest
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LABEL CATEGORY:
General Claims |
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WHERE YOU'LL FIND THIS GENERAL CLAIM:
 CLEANING PRODUCTS
FLOOR, FURNITURE & WOOD CLEANERS
GLASS & METAL CLEANERS
KITCHEN & BATHROOM CLEANERS
LAUNDRY CLEANERS
OTHER CLEANERS
 PERSONAL HYGIENE PRODUCTS
BABY PRODUCTS
BATH PRODUCTS
EYE CARE PRODUCTS
EYE MAKEUP PRODUCTS
FEMININE HYGIENE PRODUCTS
FRAGRANCE PRODUCTS
HAIR CARE PRODUCTS
MAKEUP PRODUCTS (NOT FOR EYE)
MANICURING PRODUCTS
MISCELLANEOUS
ORAL HYGIENE PRODUCTS
SHAVING PRODUCTS
SKIN CARE PRODUCTS
SUN PRODUCTS
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WHAT THIS GENERAL CLAIM MEANS:
“No animal testing” is a general claim that implies that no animal testing was done on the product and its ingredients. However, there is no government or official definition of this claim and there is no independent organization to verify the claim. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has noted that unrestricted use of these phrases by cosmetic companies is possible because there are no legal definitions for these terms.
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WHO VERIFIES THIS GENERAL CLAIM?
There is no organization behind this claim other than the company manufacturing or marketing the product.
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CONSUMERS UNION EVALUATION:
How meaningful is the label?
The “no animal testing” label is not meaningful and is potentially misleading to consumers. Some cosmetic companies may indeed not use animal testing, relying instead on information from the scientific literature, test-tube tests, or tests on humans rather than animals to substantiate their product safety. Some companies may use these claims even if the ingredients are tested on animals, or if they commission laboratories to conduct animal tests, arguing that their company does not test the finished product on animals. Many raw materials used in cosmetics were tested on animals years ago when they were first introduced. A cosmetic manufacturer might only use those raw materials and base their "no animal testing" claims on the fact that the materials or products are not currently tested on animals. However, since there is no official definition, it is impossible for consumers to know what is meant by the claim. Consumers should contact the manufacturer directly to learn more about what the claim means on a specific product.
Foods, drugs, and cosmetics are required to list their ingredients (with a few exceptions, such as fragrances in cosmetics), but household cleaning products are not required to disclose their ingredients (except for disinfectants or other ingredients considered to be antimicrobial pesticides).
Does an organization verify that the label standards are met?
No. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the regulatory authority given by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics (FD&C) Act, can take action on products it deems “misbranded” (misleading to consumers) or adulterated (contaminated and potentially unsafe) after such products have already been marketed. However, FDA has not defined “no animal testing” nor has it taken any action against manufactures making such claims.
Is the meaning of the label consistent?
No, the label can have different meanings for different products.
Are the label standards publicly available?
No, there are no standards behind this label.
Is information about the standard organization publicly available?
No, there is no organization that has established standards for this label.
Is the organization behind the label free from conflict of public interest?
No, there is no organization independently certifying this claim. The producer or manufacturer decides whether to use the claim and is not free from its own self-interest.
Was the label developed with broad public and industry input?
No, there are no standards behind this label.
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LINKS FOR MORE INFO:
Food and Drug Administration, Office of Cosmetics and Colors Fact Sheet, "Cruelty-Free - Not Tested on Animals"
Food and Drug Administration, FDA Consumer, "Clearing up Cosmetic Confusion"
"The Cosmetic Mask: Decoding Cruelty-Free" by Aisha Ikrammadin, Excerpted with permission from The Green Guide
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