WASHINGTON (March 29, 2022)—Whole Foods Market has become the latest company to support the Humane Cosmetics Act, the federal legislation that would end the production and sale of animal-tested cosmetics in the United States. The legislation would, with certain exceptions, end all animal testing for cosmetics products and ingredients in the United States and prohibit the import of cosmetics that have been tested on animals anywhere in the world.
Whole Foods Market, which sells cosmetics and manufactures their own brand of 365 by Whole Foods Market personal care products, operates more than 500 stores in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.
“At Whole Foods Market, we believe that what goes on your body is as important as what goes in it, and we take pride in inspiring people to optimize well-being beyond what they eat,” said Jen Coccaro, vice president of Merchandising for Health, Wellness and Beauty at Whole Foods Market. “We know that our customers value thoughtfully-sourced beauty and body care products that avoid animal testing, and we are proud of the progress we have made thus far. We look forward to continuing to work with the Humane Society of the United States and stakeholders across the industry to raise the bar for animal welfare and empower our customers to make better decisions for their bodies and minds.”
“Whole Foods Market has been popular with socially conscious consumers for years. By joining the growing consensus among companies that have endorsed the Humane Cosmetics Act, they are showing that they value their customers’ ethics,” said Kitty Block, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States. “We look forward to working with them to ensure that the United States becomes the next country to require cosmetics companies to replace primitive animal tests with cutting-edge science that is more human-relevant, helping animals and consumers alike.”
The momentum for passing the Humane Cosmetics Act continues to grow, with some of the strongest support coming from the cosmetics industry itself. Over 370 independent companies now officially endorse the Humane Cosmetics Act, in addition to nearly 600 member companies of the Personal Care Products Council—the cosmetics trade association—which also supports the bill.
“Years ago, Whole Foods Market added cruelty-free cosmetics to store shelves, laying the very foundation for its endorsement of the Humane Cosmetics Act,” said Sara Amundson, president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund. “Now, passage of the bill will ensure shelves in stores everywhere sell nothing but humane cosmetics. It’s perfectly natural that a company so committed to meeting consumer demand for humanely produced cosmetics would back the demand for a public policy measure that sets the standard for our humane future.”
Eight U.S. states have passed laws to end the sale of animal-tested cosmetics in recent years. Cosmetics companies must now comply with laws in California, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey and Virginia that prohibit the sale of cosmetics subject to new animal testing. Forty-one countries have also passed laws that would end or limit cosmetics animal testing.
Testing cosmetics on animals is cruel and unnecessary. Every year, rabbits, rats, mice and guinea pigs endure excruciating tests, such as having substances forced down their throats, dripped into their eyes or smeared onto their skin without any pain relief, before they are killed.
Companies can already create innovative products using thousands of ingredients that have a history of safe use and do not require any additional testing. Plus, modern testing methods (such as human cell-based tests and sophisticated computer models) have replaced outdated animal tests. These non-animal technologies are often faster, less expensive and are more reliable predictors of human safety.
Media contact:
Emily Snow Ehrhorn, HSLF/HSUS, 202-779-1814; eehrhorn@humanesociety.org
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The Humane Society Legislative Fund is a social welfare organization incorporated under section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code and formed in 2004 as a separate lobbying affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States. The HSLF works to pass animal protection laws at the state and federal level, to educate the public about animal protection issues, and to support humane candidates for office. Visit us on all our channels: on the web at hslf.org, on our blog at hslf.org/blog, on Facebook at facebook.com/humanelegislation and on Twitter at twitter.com/HSLegFund.
Founded in 1954, the Humane Society of the United States and its affiliates around the globe fight the big fights to end suffering for all animals. Together with millions of supporters, the HSUS takes on puppy mills, factory farms, trophy hunts, animal testing and other cruel industries, and together with its affiliates, rescues and provides direct care for over 100,000 animals every year. The HSUS works on reforming corporate policy, improving and enforcing laws and elevating public awareness on animal issues. More at humanesociety.org.
Subscribe to Kitty Block’s blog, A Humane World. Follow the HSUS Media Relations department on Twitter. Read the award-winning All Animals magazine. Listen to the Humane Voices Podcast.
