(LOL...I like your *bump*)
I don't know if this article helps, but it might be a start for you:
Animal Testing
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for assuring thatcosmetics are safe and properly labeled. This mission is accomplishedthrough enforcement of the
FederalFood, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act),related statutes, and regulations promulgated under these laws.
The FD&C Act does not specifically require the use of animalsin testing cosmetics for safety, nor does the Act subject cosmetics toFDA premarket approval. However, the agency has consistently advisedcosmetic manufacturers to employ whatever testing is appropriate andeffective for substantiating the safety of their products. It remainsthe responsibility of the manufacturer to substantiate the safety ofboth ingredients and finished cosmetic products prior to marketing.
Animal testing by manufacturers seeking to market new products may beused to establish product safety. In some cases, after consideringavailable alternatives, companies may determine that animal testing isnecessary to assure the safety a product or ingredient. FDA supportsand adheres to the provisions of applicable laws, regulations, andpolicies governing animal testing, including the Animal Welfare Act andthe Public Health Service Policy of Humane Care and Use of LaboratoryAnimals. Moreover, in all cases where animal testing is used, FDAadvocates that research and testing derive the maximum amount of usefulscientific information from the minimum number of animals and employthe most humane methods available within the limits of scientificcapability.
We also believe that prior to use of animals, consideration should begiven to the use of scientifically valid alternative methods towhole-animal testing.
In 1997, FDA joined with thirteen otherFederal agencies in forming the Interagency Coordinating Committee onthe Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM). ICCVAM and itssupporting center, the National Toxicology Program Interagency Centerfor the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods (NICEATM),coordinate the development, validation, acceptance, and harmonizationof alternative toxicological test methods throughout the U.S. FederalGovernment. The ICCVAM/NICEATM mission statement indicates that theseorganizations focus efforts on alternatives that may improve toxicitycharacterization, increase savings in time and cost, and even refine,reduce, or replace animal use. Additional information about the ICCVAMand NICEATM programs and conclusions can be found on their
website.
FDA supports the development and use of alternatives to whole-animaltesting as well as adherence to the most humane methods availablewithin the limits of scientific capability when animals are used fortesting the safety of cosmetic products. We will continue to be astrong advocate of methodologies for the refinement, reduction, andreplacement of animal tests with alternative methodologies that do notemploy the use of animals.
For related information see
CrueltyFree-Not Tested on Animals and
FDAAuthority Over Cosmetics.
(This is where it came from:
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/cos-205.html)
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