After a long process and some delays, Canada has finally banned the use of animal testing for cosmetic products. On 22nd June 2023, the government made amendments to the Budget Implementation Act (Bill C-47) prohibiting these tests. The Act also bans selling cosmetics that rely on new animal testing data to establish the product’s safety. Canada is joining more than 40 jurisdictions that have already committed to ending cosmetics animal testing.
In 2015, the Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Bill aimed to amend the Food and Drugs Act to prohibit cosmetic animal testing and the sale of cosmetics developed or manufactured using animal testing was introduced, It was then passed by the Senate in 2018, but it was only able to get passed first reading in the House of Commons before the legislative session ended in 2019, allegedly because of the pandemic. It has now finally been passed.
Jean-Yves Duclos, Canadian Minister of Health, said to Vegan Food & Living, “Protecting animals now and in the future is something many Canadians have been advocating for… Now, we can all be assured that cosmetics in Canada are cruelty-free, and we will continue to take all necessary measures to improve animal welfare.
Michael Bernard, from the Humane Society International/Canada, said, “This legislation truly shows the great things that can happen when government, industry, the non-profit sector and the public work together to create a better future…Canadian consumers can finally rest assured that the cosmetics they purchase have not come as a result of animal suffering. That is something we can all feel good about.”
Darren Praznik, CEO of Cosmetics Alliance Canada, said, “Since this issue was first raised in Parliament through a private member’s bill in the Senate in 2015, our group has met frequently to build a collaborative relationship and to align on the principles with Health Canada while ensuring the ban works within the Canadian regulatory framework.”
