The Body Shop removes products from China following Choice investigation

UPDATE: The Body Shop has removed products for sale from Chinese airports after a Choice investigation revealed they may be subject to animal testing.

The Body Shop has built a reputation on ethical products.

THE Body Shop has removed products for sale from Chinese airports after revelations by consumer group Choice they may be subject to animal testing.

The L’Oreal owned beauty company, which has built a reputation on cruelty-free products, issued a statement today saying it has “temporarily removed the products until we can clarify the situation, in all cases. The Body Shop will not sell product if it would compromise one of its core beliefs which is our opposition to animal testing.”

Choice chief executive Alan Kirkland welcomed the decision and said it was clear the company needed to act because products were at risk of being tested on animals.

“It’s concerning that The Body Shop did not take every step to eliminate this risk before entering the Chinese market,” he said.

Choice has launched a campaign for the company to come clean.

Yesterday a Choice investigation revealed despite the company refusing to stock products in mainland China, they were available at airports in Shanghai and Beijing - meaning they run the risk of being tested on animals.

“The Chinese government can carry out post-market animal testing, randomly and without warning pulling products from shop shelves to assess conformity with approved formulations,” Mr Kirkland said.

The Body Shop Australia executive chairman Graeme Wise said the company didn’t consider airports part of the Chinese market.

However the Chinese government confirmed there is no way to avoid random testing of products in airport stores.

The General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China said in a statement: “It is inconceivable that any foreign cosmetics company can bypass Chinese regulations and sell at the airports. The airports in Beijing and Shanghai are part of the Chinese territory that is subject to the same rules.”

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