China’s required animal testing for the registration of cosmetics poses difficulties for industry and consumers alike. Since 2010, IIVS has been working at the national and provincial levels with the China Food and Drug Administration and the import/export authorities (AQSIQ) to help them realize their goal of adopting internationally recognized non-animal test methods for the safety assessment of cosmetics.
A significant commitment to change was seen in 2014, when the China FDA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with IIVS to provide educational and training programs for Chinese regulators in the use of in vitro methods. Early success was seen in changes to regulations regarding the waiving of some animal tests for the registration of domestically produced Ordinary cosmetics.