| REPLY 1 Dear Mr King Thank you for your recent email. If you would like to visit the Somerfield website you will find all the information you require. www.somerfield,co.uk Yours sincerely Miss Cassie M Shellard Customer Service Advisor REPLY 2 09/06/03 Mr S King veg@yellins.com Dear Mr King Thank you for your recent email. Somerfield do not believe it is necessary to test any finished product or any ingredient on animals. Our suppliers are aware of this position. We believe that sufficient information is available for products to be formulated which are safe and which customers can purchase with confidence. However, we have to recognise that information does flow around the world and the information on animal testing conducted in different countries is available and suppliers will know what those results may be. In addition some of the ingredients manufacturers (not the manufacturers of the products that we buy) may undertake some animal testing in order to be able to supply the ingredient into the American market where it is a prerequisite for animal testing to be undertaken prior to permission to export. Within the UK we are now in a position where ingredients testing and finished product testing on animals is now banned in so far as the Government no longer issues licences allowing any further animal testing for this purpose. Equally we have to understand that if any new ingredient were to be approved for cosmetic or toiletry use then such an ingredient would be required to undergo animal testing for approval purposes prior to being put on to an approved list for use within the EU. Somerfield support FRAME (Fund for the Replacement of Animals in Medical Experiments) and support the development of alternative testing methodologies. To date progress is being made but it is slow and it would appear that the sun cream and preparations area is the one that is likely to make the first breakthrough. I hope this information is what you required. The whole area is not simple and it is very difficult to give straight forward answers in so far as all ingredients have been tested on animals in the past and we and our suppliers are fully aware that there is little need to continue with any such testing in the future. If you require any further information please feel free to contact me. Yours sincerely Tom Chambers Customer Service Advisor
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