In March 2020, Ethical Consumer searched the Colgate website for information on the company’s policy on animal testing. Colgate's Product Safety Research Policy stated:
"In 1999, we declared a voluntary moratorium on all animal testing of our adult Personal Care Products and the ingredients used in these products. This moratorium remains in effect worldwide.
"Currently, over 99 percent of internal requests for safety assessment of our products are addressed by using available databases and non-animal alternatives. Animal testing is only conducted where specifically required by regulatory agencies or where alternative testing methods are unavailable to ensure the safety of our products. In such limited instances, the tests are conducted only at contract testing facilities that meet both government standards and the more rigorous requirements established by Colgate with input from animal welfare groups."
Colgate-Palmolive was on PETA’s “Working for Regulatory Change” list, which recognizes companies that test on animals only when required by law, that are completely transparent with PETA about which animal tests they conduct and why, and that are actively working to promote development, validation, and acceptance of non-animal methods.
It supported the ban on animal testing in India which came into force in November 2014.
However, because the company policy did not rule out the use of animal testing for all its products the company received Ethical Consumer's worst rating for Animal Testing and lost a whole mark in this category.