Shame on You, SC Johnson
mom, the fearless activist in our family, wrote this note to SC Johnson on Feb 4/05 when she discovered their continued product-testing on animals:
Comments: I grew up with your products in our home and later I used them myself as a matter of fact I am 56 years old and have used you products for a long time...you were the family friendly company...last week I found out you may be people friendly and enviromenally friendly..but you sure aren't animal friendly...shame on you I could not believe companies still did that and you people...well that just stunned me...so I will no longer use your products and again shame on you...if you ever join the 21st century and do your "reasearch" on computers let me know because I will miss your products...
the hollow and defensive "reply" from SC Johnson:
Dear Valerie,
Thank you for your e-mail regarding your concerns about animal testing. We do share this concern and appreciate the opportunity to provide some additional perspective regarding our policy on this issue.
Consumers around the world trust SC Johnson to provide products that are safe for their use. Governments around the world support and share in this responsibility and have established specific testing requirements to provide their publics assurance of the safety of available products. Sometimes testing requirements may include the use of animals in establishing safe levels of ingredient usage because alternative testing may not yet be accepted as sufficiently sensitive or accurate to assure the safety of consumers in all cases.
Over the past few years, concerns about the use of animals in such tests have been voiced by individuals and organizations who demand animals not be used in these procedures.
SC Johnson wholeheartedly subscribes to Russell and Burch's "Three Rs" approach to animal testing:
- REDUCTION (Reduction of the number of animals used through better science and experimental design)
Towards that end, our product toxicologists have created extensive databases of historic data in order to utilize previous data to assess similar formulations in lieu of further testing. In addition, our toxicology group has been active in the development, validation and application of alternative testing methods, such as CORROSITEX, human tissue equivalent models and the bovine corneal assay as replacements for traditional eye and skin irritation tests using whole animals. These assays have dramatically reduced the number of animals used in testing our products. As a result, no animal testing is conducted on products representing over 80% of our company's revenues. However, currently there are no reliable substitutes for other standard toxicology studies needed to assure consumer safety.
- REFINEMENT (Refinement of testing procedures to minimize animal suffering)
SC Johnson has been a contributing member of the Institute for In Vitro Sciences, a non-profit foundation dedicated to the advancement of alternative test methods, since their founding in 1997 and we've had a seat on their Scientific Advisory Panel since 2000. SC Johnson has also
helped fund the Joseph F. Morgan Foundation in Canada and FRAME (Fund for the Replacement of Animals in Medical Experiments) in the U.K.
- REPLACEMENT (the ultimate goal of total Replacement of whole animal testing with alternative methods)
SC Johnson may find that some animal testing is unavoidable. However, it will be done only as a last resort. We will continue to be conscientious in our selection of independent laboratories contracted to conduct the tests to ensure they adhere to specific requirements for the humane treatment of animals; minimizing the number of animals used; employment of certified laboratory personnel; and, documentable full compliance with all governmental standards.
It is our hope, and we are contributing towards a time when animal testing for most products can be eliminated. However, until then, our consideration for human health and safety must take precedence over all else, and if animal testing is the only means available to adequately assure human health and safety, we will have no other choice than to conduct such tests.
We appreciate your concerns and the opportunity to share our perspective. I am hopeful that in the future you and your family will once again support our products, for I am convinced that companies like ours, that are truly committed to reducing animal use, will be the ones
that actually bring about the long-term elimination of unnecessary animal testing.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Diane M. Schuebel
Director
Consumer Resource Center
Consumer Resource Centre
SC Johnson
Toll free number: 1-800-558-5566
www.scjohnson.ca
Reference Number: 011190590A
sugarbear's two cents:
if the product can't be approved for use on humans without testing it first on animals, do humans really need it so badly?
kudos on making your heart known, mom!
Comments: I grew up with your products in our home and later I used them myself as a matter of fact I am 56 years old and have used you products for a long time...you were the family friendly company...last week I found out you may be people friendly and enviromenally friendly..but you sure aren't animal friendly...shame on you I could not believe companies still did that and you people...well that just stunned me...so I will no longer use your products and again shame on you...if you ever join the 21st century and do your "reasearch" on computers let me know because I will miss your products...
the hollow and defensive "reply" from SC Johnson:
Dear Valerie,
Thank you for your e-mail regarding your concerns about animal testing. We do share this concern and appreciate the opportunity to provide some additional perspective regarding our policy on this issue.
Consumers around the world trust SC Johnson to provide products that are safe for their use. Governments around the world support and share in this responsibility and have established specific testing requirements to provide their publics assurance of the safety of available products. Sometimes testing requirements may include the use of animals in establishing safe levels of ingredient usage because alternative testing may not yet be accepted as sufficiently sensitive or accurate to assure the safety of consumers in all cases.
Over the past few years, concerns about the use of animals in such tests have been voiced by individuals and organizations who demand animals not be used in these procedures.
SC Johnson wholeheartedly subscribes to Russell and Burch's "Three Rs" approach to animal testing:
- REDUCTION (Reduction of the number of animals used through better science and experimental design)
Towards that end, our product toxicologists have created extensive databases of historic data in order to utilize previous data to assess similar formulations in lieu of further testing. In addition, our toxicology group has been active in the development, validation and application of alternative testing methods, such as CORROSITEX, human tissue equivalent models and the bovine corneal assay as replacements for traditional eye and skin irritation tests using whole animals. These assays have dramatically reduced the number of animals used in testing our products. As a result, no animal testing is conducted on products representing over 80% of our company's revenues. However, currently there are no reliable substitutes for other standard toxicology studies needed to assure consumer safety.
- REFINEMENT (Refinement of testing procedures to minimize animal suffering)
SC Johnson has been a contributing member of the Institute for In Vitro Sciences, a non-profit foundation dedicated to the advancement of alternative test methods, since their founding in 1997 and we've had a seat on their Scientific Advisory Panel since 2000. SC Johnson has also
helped fund the Joseph F. Morgan Foundation in Canada and FRAME (Fund for the Replacement of Animals in Medical Experiments) in the U.K.
- REPLACEMENT (the ultimate goal of total Replacement of whole animal testing with alternative methods)
SC Johnson may find that some animal testing is unavoidable. However, it will be done only as a last resort. We will continue to be conscientious in our selection of independent laboratories contracted to conduct the tests to ensure they adhere to specific requirements for the humane treatment of animals; minimizing the number of animals used; employment of certified laboratory personnel; and, documentable full compliance with all governmental standards.
It is our hope, and we are contributing towards a time when animal testing for most products can be eliminated. However, until then, our consideration for human health and safety must take precedence over all else, and if animal testing is the only means available to adequately assure human health and safety, we will have no other choice than to conduct such tests.
We appreciate your concerns and the opportunity to share our perspective. I am hopeful that in the future you and your family will once again support our products, for I am convinced that companies like ours, that are truly committed to reducing animal use, will be the ones
that actually bring about the long-term elimination of unnecessary animal testing.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Diane M. Schuebel
Director
Consumer Resource Center
Consumer Resource Centre
SC Johnson
Toll free number: 1-800-558-5566
www.scjohnson.ca
Reference Number: 011190590A
sugarbear's two cents:
if the product can't be approved for use on humans without testing it first on animals, do humans really need it so badly?
kudos on making your heart known, mom!
