Our commitment to ending animal testing is under-pinned by our work since the 1980s in developing and using alternatives to animal tests for assessing safety, e.g. computer-based modelling and cell-based ‘in vitro’ methods. Unilever’s framework for safety assessment is risk-based rather than hazard-based. This enables us to use a wide range of non-animal approaches to assess the safety of our products for consumers. We review all of the available data, including how consumers use the product and safety information on the ingredients it contains.

For example, we are making good progress in developing a non-animal approach for assessing ingredients that may cause skin allergy. To encourage acceptance of this new approach we continue to present and publish our results externally, and are working with international research and policy groups to share our experience. We share our scientific research on a dedicated Safety Science in the 21st Century website.

In 2016 the risk-based non-animal approaches we are developing for assessing consumer safety were discussed with leading scientists, policy-makers, regulators and animal welfare organisations at key meetings in the EU, US and China. Unilever scientists were major contributors at the US Society of Toxicology 55th annual meeting, where we shared progress on a research collaboration with US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) scientists to advance non-animal approaches for chemical risk assessment.

Unilever experts also played an active role in a China – EU training programme, involving the China Food & Drug Administrations (FDA) and UK Home Office, sharing how we use non-animal approaches for assessing the safety of cosmetics.

We use a wide range of non-animal approaches to assess the safety of our products for consumers. We do not test our products on animals and are committed to ending animal testing. Our leading-edge research has one clear purpose: to continue to develop new non-animal approaches that can guarantee that our products are safe, without any need for animal testing.

Occasionally, when there are no suitable non-animal approaches available, some of the ingredients we use have to be tested; and some governments test our products on animals as part of their regulatory requirements. We are actively working with these governments, other scientists and NGOs, to put in place alternative methods.

Over the past 30 years we have invested millions of Euros in research into non-animal approaches for assessing consumer safety. We have a team of internationally recognized scientific leaders in alternatives to animal testing in Unilever, who collaborate with the best research teams across the world on this important topic, so that new non-animal methods that start as ideas in our research laboratories are accepted by regulatory authorities and become standards for the industry.

Is Unilever owned by a parent company that tests on animals?

Unilever is not owned by a parent company that tests on animals.

Is Unilever certified cruelty-free by any organizations?

No, Unilever is not certified by any organizations.

Is Unilever vegan?

Unilever might offer some vegan products, however because this company is not cruelty-free, we recommend avoiding any products they offer even if they are vegan.

How do you determine that brands like Unilever are not cruelty-free?

Most brands don't publicly display their full animal testing policies. We contact brands directly with our questions in order to get their complete policy. If any brand states that they, their suppliers, or any third party test on animals, the brand is listed as "not cruelty-free."