In July 2020 Ethical Consumer searched the Tesco PLC website for its animal testing policy. A webpage called ‘Maintaining and improving animal welfare’ was found, dated 1/08/2019.
It stated: "We do not commission or carry out testing on animals for pharmaceutical, cosmetic or household products. Where animal testing is required by law for food safety purposes, we require that these are carried out in line with applicable regulation".
In January 2020 this statement was also found: "We do not carry out, commission or fund testing on animals for consumer products. Where animal testing of chemicals is required by law for safety purposes, these are carried out in line with applicable regulation. This applies across the Group". However, this statement could not be found in July 2020.
The company's Corporate Responsiblity Report 2010 stated: "We do not support testing on animals forcosmetic or household products and do not carry out or commission such tests on ourown-brand products or the ingredients theycontain.Tesco Naturally and Natural ranges donot use any ingredient that has been tested orretested on animals for cosmetic purposes,since 31 December 1990. All otherTesco products operate a fixed cut-off date, for ingredients, of 31 December 2007". However, as the report was ten years old and no more recent mention could be found as to whether Tesco had maintained the use of a fixed cut-off date this was not taken into consideration.
The company was also selling non own-brand products made by companies which were directly involved in testing their products on animals at the time of writing. Tesco received Ethical Consumer's worst rating for its Animal Testing policy and lost a mark under this category.
Reference:
www.tescoplc.com (10 January 2020)