Alternatives to animal testing
We are committed to eliminating animal testing for our business. The vast majority of our products reach consumers without testing any material on animals. Today we are at the forefront of a Europe-wide initiative to find new ways to ensure products are safe without animal testing.
Our commitment is underpinned by our work since the 1980s in developing and using alternatives to animal tests including new approaches to risk assessment, biological and computer-based modelling and 'non animal' methods for data generation.
Starting in 2004 we have made an additional €3 million a year investment in an innovative research programme on novel non-animal approaches to assure consumer safety. We have made good progress in developing a non-animal approach for assessing skin allergy risk. For example, in collaboration with Entelos Inc, we have built a computer-based model of the biological processes involved in skin allergy. We have presented and published our results, and are working with international research and policy groups to share our experience and encourage acceptance of this new approach.
The global regulatory framework for animal testing is becoming increasingly complex. In Europe, the use of animal testing for assuring the safety of cosmetic ingredients will soon be banned, while in some countries such as China and Mexico, the law demands it. This poses huge challenges when developing new products and innovations for our global brands.
Our policy
Unilever is committed to the elimination of animal testing. It is equally committed to consumer health and safety, and to the safety of its workforce and the environment. Where some testing is required by law or currently unavoidable, we aim to minimise the number of animals used.
In pursuit of these goals, Unilever on the one hand applies strict internal control procedures to ensure that animal testing is only carried out when no alternatives are available, and on the other hand invests in developing and applying alternative approaches to replace animal testing in safety assessments for consumer products.
By adopting this dual approach, we advance the elimination of animal testing and reduce the number of tests to the absolute minimum. We provide transparency both in the use of animals and in the progress made in developing alternative approaches.
How we act
At Unilever, using non-animal approaches is the norm and animal testing is the exception. Before any animal testing is carried out, Unilever's internal control procedures require senior management to certify that there is no other way of proceeding. Unilever does not undertake animal testing, or commission others to do testing on its behalf, unless it is necessary to meet its health, safety and environmental obligations or it is demanded by government regulators or other official bodies. We do not test finished products on animals unless demanded by the regulatory authorities in the few countries where this is the law. In such cases, we try to convince the local authorities to change the law.
Developing new products
When there is a need to generate new safety and efficacy data in support of product development, non-animal methods and studies with human volunteers are used to the maximum extent. Unilever develops products which can contribute positively to the health and well-being of consumers. When developing these products, for ethical reasons it is not always possible to carry out tests directly on humans. Therefore, novel ingredients may have to be tested in animals first. Animal studies may need to be performed to establish the mechanism of action underpinning the health benefits of these ingredients as well as to assess their safety.
It has been Unilever policy to reduce and replace animal testing for many years. We have reduced considerably the amount of animal testing required to meet our commitment to the health and safety of our consumers. The vast majority of Unilever products have in the past reached, and will in the future reach, our consumers without any testing of any material on animals.
Developing new approaches
Unilever has a substantial programme on developing new (non-animal) approaches to provide data for safety risk assessments. We continue to publish many papers in the scientific literature, so that our progress can be seen and others may benefit from our work. Two examples include our presentation at the 6th World Congress on Alternatives to Animal Use in the Life Sciences in August 2007 in Tokyo, and the discussion paper Risk Assessment + New Technologies: Opportunities to Assure Safety Without Animal Testing and Better Protect Public Health. Unilever collaborates with other companies and plays a leading role with trade associations and government bodies seeking to achieve safety without animal testing. We are always prepared to explain our position, concerns and approach.
