National council bans use of animals in cosmetic testing

Use of vertebrate animals (excluding humans) in any research for the development and quality control of personal hygiene products, cosmetics and perfumes, whose formulations contain ingredients and compounds with scientifically proven safety and efficacy, from Wednesday 1st.

The measure, issued by the National Council for the Control of Animal Experiments (Concea) under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) and published in the Federal Official Journal (DOU) this Wednesday (1st) issue, Animals such as dogs, rats and rabbits, human It is kept in vivariums to test cosmetic products for its use and is often subjected to brutal practices.

In the case of new formulas that have no evidence of safety or efficacy for use, the decision changes, reduces or improves the use of animals, and the MCTI body or even “valid nationally or internationally,” says a statement from the portfolio.

Aligning Brazil with international practices

In the statement, Concea’s coordinator, Kátia De Angelis, states that the norm is an advance that brings Brazil into line with international practice. Currently, cosmetic testing on animals is prohibited in 27 member states of the European Union, in addition to South Korea, Israel, New Zealand and India, among others.

Since its founding in 2008, Concea has recognized “more than 40 techniques” aimed at validating alternative methods to animal testing. De Angelis says the fact that these procedures are now mandatory for new ingredients also opens up possibilities for exploration of Brazilian biodiversity and “new molecules with all ethical criteria.”

It is important to emphasize that the new decision covers only “personal hygiene products, cosmetics and perfumes” tests and does not affect the development of vaccines and other drugs on national territory.