Some food and beverage companies pay for horrific, deadly, and useless animal tests. PETA’s revolutionary “Eat Without Experiments” program makes it easy for consumers to tell those companies to stop testing on animals.
PETA has helped protect countless animals from being tormented and killed in laboratory experiments by the food and beverage industry, but some tests are still being done—and you can help end them!
Some of these gruesome tests are done in misguided attempts by food and beverage companies seeking to make marketing claims to consumers about health-promoting ingredients in products, ranging from juices to candy bars and from breakfast cereals to liquor.
This scheme to boost sales is not only cruel—it’s nonsensical. Scientific evidence shows that animal testing is ineffective and fails to lead to human-relevant results.
Some companies also contribute to animal tests for curiosity-driven research or to benefit the animal agriculture industry, sponsor medical charities or other institutions that fund animal tests, fund university positions that involve animal testing, or contribute in other ways to animal tests that aren’t required by law.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to animals during food and beverage industry experiments?
In food and beverage industry animal tests, experimenters have done the following:
Why can’t I find a certain food or beverage company listed?
If you’re having trouble finding a company, here are some helpful tips:
- Check the spelling and try searching again.
- If the company you’re searching for isn’t listed, please encourage it to sign and complete one of the following three versions of PETA’s Statement of Assurance documents to get listed.
- If you represent a food or beverage company that would like to be listed, please sign and complete the appropriate document below and e-mail it to [email protected]. We’ll respond shortly thereafter with our approval or clarification.
What types of companies are eligible for inclusion in PETA’s ‘Eat Without Experiments’ program?
The companies included in PETA’s “Eat Without Experiments” program are manufacturers and sellers of food or beverage products, excluding vitamins and supplements. We certify food and beverage companies and their subsidiaries that have full control of their animal testing policies. We don’t certify restaurants, bakeries, creameries, or other end users of food and beverage products unless they produce relevant items for retail sale.
Vitamins and supplements are listed in our separate and popular Beauty Without Bunnies database, which also covers companion animal care items, companion animal food, cosmetics, household cleaners, household items, and personal-care products.
What’s the difference between the “No Animal Testing” and the “No Animal Testing Unless Explicitly Required by Law” lists?
A company that signs PETA’s “No Animal Testing” Statement of Assurance pledges that it does not and shall not conduct, fund, commission, or allow any animal testing for any purpose.
A company that signs PETA’s “No Animal Testing Unless Explicitly Required by Law” Statement of Assurance pledges that it does not and shall not conduct, fund, commission, or allow any animal testing unless such tests are explicitly required by law or government agencies. PETA scientists continue to work with regulatory agencies to remove animal testing requirements for food and beverages.
What is the “Working for Regulatory Change” list?
A company that signs PETA’s “Working for Regulatory Change” Statement of Assurance pledges that it does not and shall not conduct, fund, commission, or allow any animal testing unless explicitly required by law or government agencies or unless explicitly required by ethics committees as a non–legally binding prerequisite before proceeding to human trials. In addition, it agrees to confidentially disclose in annual reports to PETA pertinent information related to their testing on animals, including numbers of animals and species used and for what experimental purposes; achieve a year-over-year reduction in overall testing on animals; consult PETA scientists before proceeding with testing on animals in attempts to avoid such testing; and make a substantive contribution toward the development, validation, and implementation of non–animal testing methods.
Why are companies included on the “Tests on Animals” list?
A food or beverage company may appear on PETA’s “Tests on Animals” list for one or more of the following reasons:
- We have evidence that in the past, the company conducted, funded, commissioned, or allowed animal testing that is not explicitly required by law or government agencies, and the company refuses to prohibit such activities following discussions with PETA.
- The company’s current animal testing policy allows animal testing that is not explicitly required by law or government agencies, the company refuses to amend the policy following discussions with PETA, and we have evidence that in the past the company conducted, funded, commissioned, or allowed such animal testing.
- The company signed one of the three versions of our Statement of Assurance document. However, we subsequently uncovered definitive evidence that the company is not adhering to the terms in the Statement of Assurance, and the company refuses to correct the noncompliance(s) following discussions with PETA.
If you don’t find a specific food or beverage company on our “Tests on Animals” list but you believe it conducts, funds, commissions, or allows such tests, please let us know at [email protected]. We may then contact the company (if we haven’t already) to start discussions about ending those activities.
Why are companies included on the “Declines to Sign Program Assurance” list?
A food or beverage company may appear on PETA’s “Declines to Sign Program Assurance” list for one or more of the following reasons:
We have definitive evidence that in the past, the company conducted, funded, commissioned, or allowed animal testing that is not explicitly required by law or government agencies. In discussions with PETA, the company claims to have stopped such activities but declines to sign one of the two versions of our Statement of Assurance document formally banning such activities.
The company’s current animal testing policy permits it to conduct, fund, commission, or allow animal testing that is not explicitly required by law or government agencies, but so far PETA has not discovered that the company conducts, funds, commissions, or allows such animal testing. The company refuses to amend its policy following discussions with PETA and declines to sign one of the two versions of our Statement of Assurance document formally banning animal testing.
We encourage consumers to ask these companies to join the “Eat Without Experiments” program by signing one of the three versions of our Statement of Assurance.
Is animal testing required by law in the food and beverage industry?
Most animal testing in the food and beverage industry is done so that companies can attempt to justify marketing claims about their products’ effects on human health or to verify the safety of their products. Regulatory agencies in the U.S., the EU, and Canada don’t require animal tests for verifying human health claims—they require superior human tests. Also, there is no legal requirement for animal testing to establish food safety in the U.S., and PETA Science Consortium International e.V. has developed a user-friendly workflow to help petitioners who are interested in pursuing food ingredient safety assessments using non–animal testing methods. In some other parts of the world, animal testing is required for health claims and/or food safety, and PETA scientists are working diligently to eliminate those requirements.
What ethical research can food and beverage companies pursue instead of animal testing?
Common foods with long histories of human consumption pose few risks, so in these cases, there’s no safety issue with ethical studies using consenting human volunteers, which is the gold standard for testing their effects on human health. Studies show that other animals don’t accurately model human physiology, and the results of any tests using them are undoubtedly further skewed by the stress they endure in unfamiliar and unnatural laboratory settings.
If a food or beverage company is developing novel ingredients, the safety assessment can be completed using sophisticated and human-relevant in vitro and computer modeling methods. Once proved safe, ethical human studies can be carried out. PETA scientists stand ready to help if a company needs expert guidance on avoiding animal testing while still complying with the law and ensuring food and beverage safety.
How does a food or beverage company get on a list in PETA’s ‘Eat Without Experiments’ program?
A food or beverage company (or a subsidiary with full control of its animal testing policy) can be included on the “No Animal Testing” list, the “No Animal Testing Unless Explicitly Required by Law” list, or the “Working for Regulatory Change” list in PETA’s “Eat Without Experiments” program by completing and signing the corresponding Statement of Assurance document in the above hyperlinks and receiving written approval from PETA. We continue to monitor approved companies to ensure compliance with the standards set forth in the respective Statement of Assurance. In the event of an unresolved violation, we will delist the company from one of those lists and transfer it to the “Tests on Animals” list. Companies that continue to conduct, fund, commission, or allow testing on animals will be included on the “Tests on Animals” list if they refuse to end their animal testing following discussions with PETA and refuse to sign any of the aforementioned versions of PETA’s Statement of Assurance. Lastly, the “Declines to Sign Program Assurance” list is for companies that have contributed to animal testing not required by law and claim to have ended such animal testing but decline to sign the assurance formally prohibiting such testing.