Asia’s Largest Food Co., Coca-Cola Bottler, and Others Drop Animal Tests

In a banner month, Uni-President, Asia’s largest food company, and Swire Coca-Cola Taiwan, one of Taiwan’s leading soft drink manufactures and bottling partner for The Coca-Cola Company there, both announced—following discussions with PETA—that they’re banning all animal tests not explicitly required by law.

And more good news! Yakult U.S.A. also confirmed to PETA that Yakult Co., Ltd.—known for its probiotic drinks in Taiwan—is now formally included in the updated policy of its parent company, Yakult Honsha Co., Ltd., that bans such animal tests.

Since 2000, these companies combined conducted, funded, or commissioned experiments that involved mutilating and killing more than 1,200 mice, rats, and hamsters.

How Are Animals Used in Food and Drink Testing in Taiwan?

Among other horrors, experimenters funded by these food and beverage companies had done the following:

• Forced mice to perform a series of stress-inducing behavioral tests and force-fed them rooibos red tea until they died
• Forced mice to inhale chemical vapors and dust mites in order to induce asthma and force-fed them a yogurt drink
• Injected rats with a drug to induce diabetes, force-fed them red yeast, and repeatedly starved them
• Fed at least 40 hamsters a high-cholesterol diet with or without tea and starved them for 12 hours (The animals’ blood was repeatedly taken, and they were all ultimately killed and dissected.)

PETA’s Progress to End Animal Testing in Taiwan

In banning horrific animal tests after hearing from PETA, Uni-President, Swire Coca-Cola Taiwan, and Yakult Co., Ltd., join other conscientious, forward-thinking companies in Taiwan in making this compassionate decision, including the following:

• Standard Foods Group, the largest health-food company in Taiwan and licensee of PepsiCo’s Quaker Oats Company
• Vitalon Foods Group, the third-largest health-food company in Taiwan
• Lian Hwa Foods Corp., well known for its snack foods and a major supplier to convenience store giant 7-Eleven in Taiwan

“The champagne is flowing at PETA because of the news that three of Taiwan’s major food companies have nixed cruel animal tests. We thank them for bringing us closer to a day when no animal is maimed, force-fed, or killed in attempts to make dubious human health claims for marketing food and drinks.”

—PETA Vice President Shalin Gala

Take Action for Animals in Taiwan

PETA members and supporters are calling on more than a dozen of Taiwan’s other food companies—including Nestlé licensee AGV Products Corp.—to commit to banning pointless and cruel tests on animals. Tens of thousands of people have already taken action, and joining them takes less than a minute using your phone or computer. What are you waiting for? Get started now: