Animal testing for product safety extends far beyond cosmetics to household chemicals, industrial products, food additives, and materials, with the 3Rs applied inconsistently across sectors.
The public discourse on animal testing often focuses on pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, but a large volume of animal testing occurs for industrial and household chemical safety — testing that is largely invisible to consumers. The welfare framework is the same as for other research use: minimise suffering through the 3Rs, apply validated non-animal alternatives where they exist, and invest in developing alternatives for endpoints where they are not yet available. Progress in alternatives for industrial chemical testing has been slower than for cosmetics, partly because the regulatory requirements are more complex and the reputational pressure on chemical companies is lower. Consumer pressure on household goods companies to commit to non-animal chemical safety testing is an underused lever for welfare improvement.