Urge Taiwanese Officials to Ban Animal Testing for Food and Beverage Companies

The Taiwanese government is on the cusp of finally and compassionately doing away with a gruesome test on baby rats to support dubious blood-iron health claims in food and beverage products sold in Taiwan. We’d like all PETA supporters to please show your support for getting rid of this pointless and deadly test.

The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) currently recommends that food and beverage companies perform experiments on baby rats. Specifically, the TFDA recommends that experimenters feed month-old rats an iron-deficient diet to induce anemia, feed them the test food, and repeatedly take their blood. At the end of the experiment, the babies are often killed.

That’s about to change.

Following years of pressure from PETA, the TFDA has announced a revised draft of this regulation that doesn’t require any animal experimentation and that would spare countless animals. It is a compassionate step in the right direction and would represent another win for animals.

But the regulation isn’t final. The agency is accepting public comments through December 14. A short, kind letter of support from you could help ensure that no additional animals suffer and die to make food and beverage companies more money.

Your Support Makes Positive Change

Pressure from PETA has helped ensure numerous other wins for animals in Taiwan: Scores of vulnerable animals no longer are drowned or electroshocked or bred to develop hypertension in order for companies to make anti-fatigue or blood pressure–lowering health claims for food and beverages, and the TFDA now prioritizes internationally recognized, non-animal tests to assess food safety. PETA is also pushing the TFDA to amend a draft regulation prohibiting health food companies from mutilating rats for joint-protection health claims.

PETA is leading a global trend against animal testing after persuading dozens of food and beverage companies, including some major companies in Taiwan, to end (or commit to never starting) experiments on animals.

What You Can Do

Please take action today by sending the TFDA a polite letter of encouragement, letting it know you appreciate its proposal and urging it to follow through.