China Tests Cosmetics That Are Manufactured outside China on Animals

It may surprise people to know (or perhaps it won't) that the Chinese have a mandatory testing procedure on cosmetics manufactured outside of China on animals. There is no need for this testing because these manufacturers have found ways to test their products without testing them on animals. This is because the testing, marketing and selling of cosmetics in the European Union is banned. The European Union lead the way in this area of animal welfare. But for some peculiar and perverse reason the Chinese feel they have to test these products on animals which once again reinforces our belief, or at least my belief that the Chinese don't give a damn about animal welfare.

The question which now remains is whether these companies such as Revlon and Estee Lauder are in breach of European Union regulations despite the fact, as mentioned, that they are not testing their products on animals. It is bad enough allowing the testing of products other than cosmetics on animals such as medicines. But there is absolutely no justification whatsoever to test cosmetics which are products to enhance the appearance of humans on animals. It can only be described as immoral and unethical and actually it's quite depressing to think about it.

Clearly there needs to be representations to the Chinese on this subject. There won't be, as usual, because the West is dependent upon products manufactured in China to feed the greedy consumer in the West meaning Europe and North America. We don't want to upset them do we? We need their money don't we? We need the Chinese to invest in the West. We need their money to help build our facilities in the UK. The last thing that we want to do is to upset them on the matter of animal welfare. This is depressing.

Search results on PoC for "cosmetics".

This is a cross-post with the main website.

Is cat genome sequencing a precursor to more experimentation on cats?

We are told that the cat genome has been sequenced. The impression given is that this is a major step. What is genome sequencing? I don't exactly know to be honest but what I do know is that it does allow people to better understand the building blocks of the animal of which the genome has been sequenced and it also allows scientists to better understand the genetics of the animal, as I understand it.

In this instance an Abyssinian cat living at the University of Missoula in Colombia was the subject chosen to represent her species.  A 25 man multinational scientific team was pulled together to sequence the cat genome.

It is stated on the website that provides the source of this information that one reason for sequencing the genes of the cat is to better understand disease, at least in theory. Although cats and humans don't infect each other with their respective diseases except on rare occasions, domestic cats are known to suffer from about 250 conditions which are “analogous to human conditions".

One of them is feline AIDS (FIV) caused by a virus which depresses the immune system.  Accordingly, “feline infectious agents offer powerful natural models of deadly human diseases".

Those words indicate to me, possibly incorrectly, that scientists have recognised that many diseases that affect the cat take a similar course to diseases that affect humans and therefore testing medications on cats may help scientists to better understand how to cure human diseases.

I'm just throwing up a red flag to see where it lands but I don't see any reason to sequence the cat genome other than if it has some benefit to people because that is how people think. Already we know that cats are used in medical testing, although of course, far more rarely than mice, for example.

I hope I'm incorrect.

PETA list of companies that test on animals

If you click on the link below you'll be taken to a list of companies that test on animals. I would hope that animal advocates take the time to read the list. However, it is difficult, I believe, to avoid buying products on supermarket shelves that have been involved in any way with animal testing because, firstly, there is a plethora of products and secondly, you don't know which manufacturer is ultimately responsible; meaning the umbrella company.

APOLOGIES FOR THE INITIALLY WORD BLIND TITLE WHICH HAS BEEN UPDATED (TWICE)!

Photo by Understanding Animal Research - original photo.

You might read that the manufacturer is a smallish company but it may well be owned by one of the big multi-national companies such as Colgate-Palmolive who do animal testing. I believe they contract it out but ultimately they are responsible for it.

In addition, most consumers in a supermarket are in a hurry to do their shopping and get home. Well, at least the men are!  However, the only way to have our say albeit with an almost insignificant effect, is to reject products which have some connection in their manufacture to animal testing. If everyone made a minute impact it would amount to a big impact.

Please click on this link to see companies that do animal testing one way or the other.

Associated: Animal testing for cosmetics. Sales of animal tested cosmetics are banned in Europe.