P & G Animal Testing

Pet Food

IAMS and Eukanuba are P&G brands of pet food.

In May 2001 Uncaged exposed horrific accounts of cats and dogs used and killed in experiments for IAMS/Eukanuba with a front page story in the national press. Our research uncovered scientific papers that describe IAMS funded experiments on hundreds of previously healthy animals that caused: kidney failure, obesity, malnutrition, liver damage, severe allergic reactions, stomach inflammation, diarrhoea, skin disorders, lesions and other painful conditions. Many of the animals died as a result of the experiments or were killed and dismembered for tissue analysis.

As a result of our campaign IAMS have announced that cats and dogs will no longer be killed in experiments. When pushed they admit that other species of animals will still be killed in their pet food research. One IAMS executive has stated that he sees no problem with cats and dogs spending their entire lives in cages for experiments.

For more details of IAMS experiments – click here [i](Iams references are at: http://www.uncaged.co.uk/iams01.htm)

Nanoparticles

P&G is engineering ultra-tiny ‘nano’particles that can penetrate skin and hair in ways that naturally occurring molecules don’t. Their intention is to produce new types of cosmetics and hair products.[ii] Inside every bottle of Oil Of Olay Complete UV Protection moisturizer is a little bit of nanotech. Not surprisingly P&G are involved in animal testing of nanoparticles.

A study published in Dec 2005[iii] reveals how one thousand hamsters, mice and rats were killed in a test where they were placed in sealed boxes and forced to breath air contaminated with nanosoot particles. The idea being to see how much damage was caused to the animals’ lungs. When the animals given the highest doses were killed and dissected their lungs were found to have doubled in weight. During the tests they suffered severe and persistent lung injury, which was left untreated - for several months in some cases.

Several animals died before the end of the experiment due to a lack of basic care, such as nine rats who were not given water. Hamsters became ill and died because they were moved into plastic cages, despite the scientists knowing that this could harm them.

P&G are also pushing for a massive new animal testing programme to assess how poisonous different nanoparticles are.[iv] Despite this they continue to claim that animal testing is a last resort.

Genetic Engineering

P&G are involved in genetically engineering mice to create new ways of testing ingredients for use in products such as laundry liquids, Fairy liquid, Flash cleaner, skin care, hair products and other cosmetics.[v]

Genetic engineering is known to cause serious animal welfare problems due to the fact that large numbers of animals are involved, surgery and other invasive procedures are used in their creation, and that genetic modification is likely to cause harmful deformities.

Mice have been genetically engineered to be more vulnerable to asthma and lung damage in order to test a P&G detergent enzyme called ‘subtilisin’. The substance was repeatedly injected into the bodies and up the noses of the mice, causing their lungs to become damaged and filled with blood, followed by pneumonia.

Skin Irritancy Tests

Eighteen rats suffered liver damage in skin irritancy tests for chemicals to be used in hair care products and fabric softener.[vi] The chemical was applied to the rats who were then wrapped to prevent them from trying to lick themselves clean. It is believed that the injuries occurred both as a result of being wrapped too tightly and during unwrapping, one rat died from such injuries before the end of the test. This happened despite an earlier P&G paper that highlights this as a potential problem.

Washing Powder Ingredients

P&G have repeatedly tested an ingredient called ‘NOBS’ on animals[vii] even though the chemical had been found safe in a massive trial on human volunteers and has been in use for several years. Painful and lethal skin allergy tests were carried out on guinea pigs as well as lethal tests on mice. These tests were not a legal requirement and once again undermine P&G’s claims that testing on animals is a ‘last resort’.

Other P&G Animal Testing[viii]

• An acute toxicity test where dogs were force-fed large amounts of a cleaning chemical[ix] by stomach tube
• Cancer and toxicity tests on rats and mice of optical brighteners and other washing powder ingredients
• Long-term poisoning tests in animals for colouring agents
• Mice have been repeatedly force-fed a synthetic musk fragrance[x]

P&G are often quoted as stating: “Sometimes, but only as a last resort, we must conduct research involving animals to ensure materials are safe and effective” and “We are passionate about continuing our progress in developing alternatives to research involving animals.”

Of course these kinds of statements are standard industry spin. As these few examples show, thousands of animals die at the hands of P&G every year in tests for trivial and totally unnecessary ingredients aimed at improving their profit margin.