Beauty Without Cruelty

Vegetarianism/veganism should mean not just a way of eating but a way of life. Such a way of life would have been easy to follow two hundred years ago, but unfortunately it isn't as easy now. Practicing vegetarianism/veganism is becoming more and more difficult each day due to the increasing use of animal ingredients in products which are commonly assumed to be animal-free. Further a product which is animal-free may not be cruelty free since its means of production may have involved infliction of pain or death.

Today the market offers a range of products, some conforming and some not conforming to the vegetarian ethic. Vegetarians need to carefully choose what to buy, basing their choice on reliable information. For this very reason BWC started its research activites back in 1974. Along with making people aware of animal- derived ingredients BWC felt the need for vegetarian products list. BWC published its first edition of the “List of Honour” which contained names of cosmetics and toilet preparations manufactured in India which were free of animal substances and not tested by means of experiments upon animals. This list was later called ''Vegetarian Shopper's Guide'' which also included food products.

Not only is this list beneficial for the consumers but it is also very profitable for manufacturers. According to The Hindu newspaper 2006 survey 40% of India's population is vegetarian. This is mostly driven by class and religious concerns, with the Brahmin class expected to not eat meat, the Hindu religion suggesting vegetarianism and the Jain religion demanding it. Also, the number of individuals who believe in the cause of animal rights is increasing. Clearly the demand and market for vegetarian products is quite large, making it a huge opportunity for manufacturers to explore and expand. We therefore invite companies manufacturing different vegetarian/vegan products to approach BWC. Manufacturers can download the BWC product questionnaire from below. For further details you may contact us at research@bwcindia.org

'Vegetarian' for BWC means that the products:

has no animal-derived substances (except as noted below) as ingredients
has no animal-derived substances as ingredients
has not been tested upon animals
has not used animal derived substances in the process of the its manufacture

In addition we also make efforts to ensure that the product in question has no animal-derived substances even in its embellishments (e.g. leather labels and patches on jeans) or its packaging (e.g. silk pouches)

4, Prince of Wales Drive

Wanowrie, Pune

Maharashtra, India-411040

Tel: ++91-20-2686 1166

Fax: ++91-20-2686 0016

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