BRASÍLIA—Senator Gleisi Hoffmann’s report on Federal Bill 70/2014 on cosmetic tests on animals published this week – the World Lab Animal Week – strongly supports a complete ban on testing cosmetic products and ingredients on animals, as well as the sales of cosmetics tested on animals. It proposes several amendments to Bill 70/2014, providing:

• An immediate ban on testing finished cosmetic products on animals;
• A prohibition on testing cosmetic ingredients within a three-years deadline;
• A prohibition on using data obtained from animal tests to authorize new cosmetics into the Brazilian market, even if these tests have been conducted abroad or for other purposes (except for “historical” tests conducted before the entry into force of the law).

If adopted by the Senate, the proposed changes would close major loopholes in the original version of the bill. The report is aligned with the amendments proposed by Senator Randolfe Rodrigues in Report (SF) 1/2017 adopted by the Commission of Science and Technology last year.

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The Collegial Directorate of the National Health Surveillance Agency has recently issued a positive assessment on these amendments, officially taking side for the first time in favour of a complete end to these tests. Senator Gleisi Hoffmann (PT-PR) declared: “It is unacceptable, in the middle of the 21st century, to cause pain and suffering to animals to produce cosmetics. We have examples of many companies, national and international, that demonstrate that it is possible to produce innovative cosmetics without testing on animals. I am in favor of a complete ban on these tests, because it’s more than time to eliminate this kind of cruelty from our society.”

Antoniana Ottoni, Humane Society International’s legislative officer, said: “The amendments to Bill 70/2014 proposed by Senator Hoffmann are essential to bring a complete end to cosmetic tests on animals, this is what the public is calling for. ANVISA’s approval to this policy makes clear that this compassionate legislation will not negatively impact consumer protection, as cosmetics can be tested with more efficient non-animal testing methods. HSI will now concentrate its efforts to obtain a swift and positive vote on the report in the Senate.”

Senator Gleisi Hoffmann’s report is available here.

Six Brazilian states have now banned the tests of cosmetic products and ingredients on animals: Paraná, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Mato Grosso do Sul, Pará and Amazonas, representing about 60 percent of all cosmetics companies established in Brazil.

Globally, cosmetic tests on animals have been banned in 37 countries, including the whole of the European Union, Israel, India, Norway, Switzerland, Taiwan, New Zealand and Guatemala. Similar legislation is being debated in the United States, Canada, Australia, Chile, South Africa and elsewhere. Take action and donate to help.

Media contact: Helder Constantino: +55 21 98342 4163, hconstantino@hsi.org