THE WHAT? The Humane Society International has praised regulators for South America’s largest beauty market for ushering in a partial ban on animal testing for cosmetics. Brazil’s National Council for the Control of Animal Experimentation has outlawed animal testing for beauty ingredients with ‘known effects’ and provided for alternative testing methods for ‘unknown ingredients’.

THE DETAILS The solution is partial as the agency does not have legal jurisdiction to restrict the marketing of cosmetics that have been tested on animals but a federal bill that purports to end animal testing for cosmetics in Brazil has cleared the Senate and is awaiting approval by the Chamber of Deputies, HIS said.

THE WHY? Humane Society International Government Affairs Specialist in Brazil, Antoniana Ottoni, commented, “We are thrilled to see our efforts come to fruition after a decade of campaigning resulting in state bans and federal progress. This new Brazilian norm is a welcome next step in the right direction and something for which we have long advocated. However, a domestic testing ban on its own will not prevent the import and sale of newly animal-tested cosmetics from other countries. This will put our personal care industry at a competitive disadvantage, and fall short of the cruelty-free beauty sector that Brazilian consumers have made clear that they want. For this reason, our work to secure a federal law must continue, and we look forward to working with the Chamber of Deputies to build on this positive momentum to see a federal law in place this year.”