Clearer Labelling needed for Cosmetic Products - Cllr Diana Peacocke
UUP North Down Councillor Diana Peacocke has called for the Government to consider issuing legislation which will force cosmetic manufacturers to declare whether their products or ingredients have been tested on animals anywhere in the world.
Councillor Peacocke said:
“Whilst there may be a ban on cosmetic testing on animals in the UK, it does not stop companies from sourcing their products or their ingredients outside the UK, where cosmetic animal testing continues.
“Some products offer no information at all and others which say ‘not tested on animals’ or ‘cruelty-free’ can be misleading as it could refer to the product itself and not the ingredients. The terms ‘not tested on animals’ and ‘cruelty free’ are also without a definite legal definition and leaves much room for ambiguity.
“A product should state unequivocally whether or not it, or its ingredients, have been tested on animals anywhere in the world. We’ve seen a splurge of legislation on the correct labelling of food products, and various companies have gone to great lengths to let us know what is in our food – so why shouldn’t same detail be afforded to cosmetics?
“We are at the time of the educated consumer, when people are becoming more concerned about where our products are coming from. Legislation needs to be tightened in order that consumers are provided with the correct information which allows them to make an informed choice”.