Safe for Humans or Harmful to Animals?
The Debate of Product Testing on Animals
Should companies stop testing cosmetics and household products on animals and pursue alternatives that don't involve animal testing?
"'Microban' household cleaner spray (Household Cleaner)" by Sainsbury's is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
What Is Product Testing on Animals?
Product testing on animals constitutes any procedure performed on animals for testing the safety of consumer products, for example, cosmetics or household cleaners.
"Cosmetics" by My Sight, as You See. is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
What are the Types of Tests Done on Animals?
Acute Toxicity Testing
This test is used to determine the danger of a single, short term exposure to a product or chemical.
The chemical is usually administered to rodents in high doses.
Animals who get the highest dose suffer from severe effects and ultimately die.
These test results in animals have not always corresponded with effects in humans.
Eye and Skin Irritation and Corrosion Testing
This test is used to assess how irritated the skin or eyes are after consuming a product or chemical.
This test is usually performed on rabbits. A substance is dripped onto their eyes or a shaved part of their skin.
The effects from this test on the rabbits consist of damaged skin, ulcers, bleeding, bloody scabs, swollen eyelids, irritated eyes, and blindness for up to two weeks.
The results in these tests have been variable and haven't always corresponded with humans because there are differences between the rabbit and human eye.
Skin Sensitization Testing
This test is used to observe the allergic reaction on skin from a substance.
This test is usually performed on guinea pigs. The test substance is injected into them multiple times to observe what the allergic reaction is.
A guinea pig's skin can become itchy and inflamed, and ulcers can form on the skin as well.
Reproductive and Developmental Testing
This testing is performed on animals to observe effects on their reproduction and the development of their offspring.
A substance is administered to animals before their gestation period, and observed for effects on their fertility.
The offspring are mated to assess the effects on their reproduction.
All alternatives to animal testing are considered in-vitro methods, meaning tests are done outside of an animal or a living organism. Here are some examples:
Using cell and tissue cultures grown in a lab
Reconstructed skin grown from animal cells
Computerized methods that extrapolate data
Fig. 1. Chart of Animal Research in the US in 2018: "US Statistics." Speaking of Research, https://speakingofresearch.com/facts/statistics/
What Are the Regulations Surrounding Animal Testing?
The Animal Welfare Act
The Animal Welfare Act is the only federal law that regulates the treatment of animals in research, testing, transport, and exhibition. It was signed in 1966.
The animals covered in this act are all warm- blooded animals, but mice, rats, and birds, who make up 95% of animal test subjects, are not covered in this act.
The FDA's Recommendations on Cosmetics
The FDA recommends that cosmetic companies should do whatever is required to test their products before releasing them to the public, but animal use is not required
Recommendations from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission
The US Consumer Product Safety Commission recommends that their products should be tested with whatever measures are necessary, but animals are not required for testing
The Ethical Dilemma of Animal Testing
From the side of yes:
Results in animals do not predict how the product will do on humans
It's harmful to the animals involved: animals can be negatively affected in lots of ways since these tests create side effects in their bodies.
It's cheaper to use other scientific alternatives
Should companies stop testing cosmetics and household items on animals and pursue alternatives that don't involve testing?
Fig. 2. Timeline and Map of Animal Testing Regulations: "Be Cruelty Free Campaign" Humane Society International, https://www.hsi.org/issues/be-cruelty-free/
From the side of no:
There are limitations on the alternative testing methods, and while they help, they can't totally replace animal testing, as there are some things that in vitro testing cannot determine that in vivo testing can.
Animals are used to contribute to scientific methods; they advance scientific research, they are used as models to study disease and to test and develop forms of treatment
Products are tested on animals before being released to humans. It's not safe to not test a product for safety before releasing it to the public.
Who are the stakeholders?
Animals
The companies who produce cosmetics or household products that are sold to stores and the general public
The Government or FDA as they are in charge of regulating products
Consumers who buy these products
Stores that sell these products
Ethical Principles to Consider
Beneficence
Non-maleficence
Other Essential Questions to Consider
What are the procedures for experiments that test on animals?
Have there been any court cases against companies who do animal testing?
Do animals have rights and the right to be advocated for, like humans do?