Consumer product development beyond cosmetics still uses animals in tests that are increasingly replaceable.
Animal testing beyond cosmetics persists in product development for household chemicals, food additives, and consumer goods. Regulatory frameworks for these products developed in an era before validated non-animal alternatives existed, and updating them lags behind the science. Many companies voluntarily go beyond regulatory minimums by investing in alternatives — demonstrating that consumer preference for cruelty-free products drives welfare improvement even in unregulated spaces. Systematic regulatory reform to require consideration of validated alternatives before animal tests is the most impactful systemic change.