Cosmetics tested on animals to be banned under Labor Government

COSMETICS tested on animals would be banned from importation to Australia under the Labor Government.

The Labor Government will introduce a ban on new animal-tested cosmetics.

COSMETICS tested on animals would be banned from importation to Australia under the Labor Government.

And the government will look at changing the law to ban animal testing of cosmetics in Australia.

Announcing the animal cruelty crackdown this morning, Health Minister Tanya Plibersek said there were already enough cosmetics in the world.

"I think we've probably got as broad a range of shampoos and lipsticks on the market that humanity could ever possibly need for the future," she said.

The import ban will be prospective, not retrospective so ingredients and products tested on animals in the past will still be allowed on the market in Australia.

"What I'd like to see is new products in the future and new ingredients in the future use our new testing methods that don't require cruelty to animals to verify that they are safe for human use," she said.

The minister said there were new methods of testing using donated corneas and human cell lines in test tubes that did not require the use of animals.

There is no law banning animal testing in Australia but the minister says in practice companies based here no longer use it.

Nevertheless she will work with the industry on changing the law to ban the practice here.

The European Union has phased in an animal testing ban on cosmetics over the last ten years and there was plenty of data that would allow the government to put the import ban into practice, Ms Plibersek told ABC 24.

Chinese cosmetics were most likely to be affected by the ban because the Chinese Government required animal testing of cosmetics, she said.

Cosmetics made from ingredients that were initially tested on animals for medical use will also be allowed.

"I'm certainly not proposing that we stop using mice in cancer trials for example," she said.

"This is a case of how many lipsticks do you need, how many mascaras do you need, do they all need to be tested on animals to assure ourselves that they are safe for humans.''

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