The Mexican Senate has passed a bill to outlaw tests on animals for cosmetic products. Sponsored by Senators Ricardo Monreal and Jesusa Rodríguez, the bill was unanimously endorsed by both the Senate Health Committee and the full Senate, and will now move on to the next stage of the legislative process in the Chamber of Deputies.
The bill intends to prohibit the use of animal tests in the assessment of cosmetic products or their ingredients, as well as the manufacture, import or marketing of cosmetics tested on animals (see text here below - in Spanish).
In case the bill would be voted by the lower house, Mexico would become the first country in North America to outlaw cosmetic animal testing, and the 40th globally.
“This brings us one step closer to ending unnecessary animal cruelty in the cosmetics industry, and demonstrates Mexico’s leadership within the Americas,” commented Anton Aguilar, executive director of Humane Society International Mexico.
According to the Humane Society International, Mexican consumers are increasingly concerned about animal welfare and many of them support cruelty free cosmetic products. A 2019 Parametría poll, commissioned by Humane Society International and Te Protejo - an organization that promotes the use of products not tested on animals in Latin America, shows that 78% of Mexican citizens place importance on making sure their cosmetics are cruelty-free when purchasing a product [1]. Since last November, over 20,000 people have signed the HSI-Te Protejo petition at www.selibredecrueldad.org to ban cosmetic animal testing in Mexico.
