Brazil animal testing ban contains loopholes, welfare group claims

Following the recent first move by Federal authorities in Brazil to ban the practice of animal testing in the country, animal welfare group Cruelty-Free says loopholes have to be closed to aid further progress.

The Chamber of Deputies Bill 6602/13 came into force last week, which prohibits animal testing of cosmetic ingredients and products in Brazil, but does not include cosmetics ‘ingredients with unknown effects’ – a gray area that concerns the group.

Cruelty-Free claim that the Brazilian authorities finally came to a compromise on animal testing following a year-long campaign by the group that put the necessary pressure to make the changes.

Year-long negotiations resulted in a 'compromise'

Long negotiations between the government and Cruelty-Free Brazil supporter Deputado Ricardo Izar, who is president of the Parliamentary Front in Defense of Animals, resulted in a compromise that left the loophole concerning ingredients with unknown effects.

“Brazil has taken its first important step on the path to banning cruel and out-dated animal testing for cosmetic products and ingredients,” said Cruelty–Free Brazil spokesperson Anotoniana Ottoni.

Congratulating the work that had been put in to get the bill passed, Ottoni added that the historic bill now put Brazil in the same ranks as the European Union, Norway, Israel and India.

Progress has been made, but...

“However, as it is currently worded there are some unfortunate loopholes in the Bill that must be closed. Our experts, who played a central role in achieving the EU and Indian cosmetics bans, are working with Senate and all parties involved to help improve Brazil’s Bill and bring it closer to what Brazilians want to see: a completely cruelty-free cosmetics future in Brazil.”

The year-long campaign n Brazil resulted in more than 100 parliamentarians signing the Cruelty-Free pledge, together with the first-ever technical report proposing a ban on animal testing for cosmetics.

The latest move by Brazilian federal authorities builds on a Bill passed back in January of this year that banned the testing of cosmetics ingredients and products on animals in the State of São Paulo.