The BUAV has identified an alarming trend in animal testing. We have found that an increasing number of food additives are being tested on animals. The Government's official statistics for 2006, the most recent year available, show that 4,038 animals were used to test food additives such as stabilisers, sweeteners and colorants - a staggering increase of 368.4 per cent on the previous year.
The BUAV's Scientific Coordinator, Dr. Katy Taylor, comments:
"These tests are primarily to help food manufacturers sell new or modified versions of their products, not solve world food problems. We should be using existing ingredients until we have non-animal alternatives to test new ones."
Examples of food additives we identified:
| Subjects: |
Rats |
| Experiment: |
One of the world's largest food ingredient suppliers supported the testing of this naturally occurring amine — often occurring in sugar (called betaine) — to find out whether it had any toxic effects. |
| Method: |
280 rats were housed in steel cages and fed a diet dosed with betaine for up to 90 days. Some rats were killed at various points and their bodies dissected to see if the betaine was having a harmful effect. Some rats were also subjected to behavioural tests which involved having their tails placed over hot lights, being placed inside tubes and then subjected to loud noises, and being stretched on a kind of 'rack' to measure the strength of their paws.They were then killed by being bled to death whilst under anaesthesia.
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| Result: |
The results were compared to a similar study conducted in the USA, where different results were found, probably because the rats were fed different diets. |
| Note: |
The scientists had to explain their differing results even though the amount the rats ate far exceeded what humans would normally be exposed to.
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| Subjects: |
Rats |
| Experiment: |
A British laboratory tested this chemical on rats in the UK to find out what effect it would have on their livers. |
| Method: |
Rats were housed in mesh-floored cages. This is bad for them as it harms their feet — imagine living above a cattle grid for your whole life. They were then killed at 3 months old and their livers examined for toxic effects.
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| Result: |
The metabolism of thiofurans in the rat was explained. |
| Note: |
A previous study has shown that this technique "may not always be relevant to the human". |
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| Subjects: |
Rats and mice |
| Experiment: |
A well known UK food manufacturer conducted a series of tests on rats and mice to test an ingredient used to help protect food from freeze damage. |
| Method: |
Mice were force fed the protein for two days. They were then killed to study their bone marrow.
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| Result: |
Some of the mice became hyperactive with their fur standing on end and their eyes protruding — although the authors didn't think this was of significance. |
| Note: |
No other adverse effects were reported so this protein was then tested on humans in a volunteer study. |
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| Subjects: |
Rats, mice, rabbits and guinea pigs |
| Experiment: |
A notorious British based laboratory conducted a series of experiments on rats, mice, rabbits and guinea pigs to determine the safety of this food preservative. |
| Method: |
An acute toxicity study on rats was performed, in which rats were force fed the preservative. In another study the preservative was painted onto their shaved backs. Rabbits were also used to study skin and eye irritation. Skin and eye irritation tests were conducted on them, for which there are now validated alternatives. Reproductive studies were also conducted on pregnant rabbits who were force fed the preservative daily and then killed one day before they were due to give birth to examine at their dead and alive foetuses.
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| Result: |
Although the preservative caused decreased body weights, lack of appetite, severe eye irritation and some skin irritation, the scientists concluded that it was generally safe for humans. |
| Note: |
It is extremely hard to determine the toxicity of a chemical when so many different animals are used in so many different tests. The scale of the data that is created makes it very hard to see which effects are real, not to mention relevant to humans! |
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| Subjects: |
Rats |
| Experiment: |
A notorious British laboratory tested this food colouring on rats to see whether it caused developmental defects in baby rats. |
| Method: |
Over 120 rats were used and force fed daily by tube differing concentrations of the chemical. Females and males were mated and then killed after 20 days. The females were dissected and the number of dead and alive foetuses inside them counted and examined for abnormalities.
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| Result: |
The scientists reported that annatto extract did not cause any reproductive problems. |
| Note: |
It is not clear why this experiment was necessary as annatto is a natural product that has been consumed for many, many years. |
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How you can help
We desperately need funds to raise awareness of our findings. Please give whatever you can and help save defenceless animals from this terrible end.
The BUAV has tabled a parliamentary petition known as "Early Day Motion (EDM) 4" which calls on the Government to stop granting licences for experiments for additives and other foodstuffs.
- Please help laboratory animals by writing to your MP, asking them to sign EDM 4.
To find out who your MP is, please use our Lobby Your MP facility to find out whether your MP has signed up; or just enter you postal code below to get started.
Thank you for your kind support. Together we can alert influential people to what is going on and strive to put a stop to these unbelievable experiments.
