Latest news with #AnjanaAggarwal
India Today
29-07-2025
- Health
- India Today
PETA India calls out Oreo maker for 'senseless' animal testing. Key details
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India has sent a letter to Mondelz, the manufacturer of the popular cookie variety 'Oreo', urging the management to permanently stop animal testing that is not expressly required by law, such as one experiment that had involved force-feeding human feces to Mondelz adopted a limited global ban on animal testing in 2018 after consulting with PETA US, a loophole continues to allow animal testing under the guise of promoting basic 'nutritional science'.advertisementMondelz claims not to test products on animals unless required by law, but the company has funded numerous 'nutritional science' experiments such as force-feeding mice with human faecal bacteria, which have been shown to produce no health-relevant results for humans.'Force-feeding mice with harmful faecal bacteria, chemicals and glass beads is completely unacceptable and should have been banned long ago - especially when these experiments have no scientific or legal basis,' said Dr Anjana Aggarwal, PETA India's Scientist and Research Policy Advisor.'We call on Mondelz to finally turn its back on animal testing and join the many companies that have joined PETA's 'Eat without Experiments' program. The damage to brand reputation from continuing to conduct or fund these tests is growing by the day, and consumers worldwide no longer want to support it.' she added. PETA India calls out Oreo maker for 'senseless' animal testing. Key details PETA India and food manufacturers around the world take action against senseless testingCommon food ingredients, for which there are no toxicity concerns, should not be tested on animals. Studies such as these could be carried out safely with consenting human volunteers, which, unlike animal testing, would allow clinically relevant results to be obtained. A large number of modern in vitro and computer models can also be used to research the effects of food on human than 128,000 consumers have contacted Mondelz through online action alerts via PETA India, PETA Germany, PETA US, PETA UK, PETA France, PETA Netherlands, PETA Australia, PETA Latino, and PETA2, to call for a ban on animal than 400 food and beverage companies - including Ferrero and Unilever - have already signed up to PETA's Eat Without Experiments program, pledging to refrain from non-legally required animal authorities worldwide: no acceptance of animal testingPETA US has already sent Mondelz a scientific critique highlighting the weaknesses of these animal New Drugs and Clinical Trials (Amendment) Rules 2023, passed by the Indian government, allows for the use of non-animal methods for assessing drug safety and efficacy, replacing traditional animal US National Institutes of Health (NIH) also recently announced its intention to launch 'a new initiative to expand innovative, human-based science while reducing animal use in research'. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Food Directorate of Canada Health and other institutions do not accept animal testing as the sole evidence for health claims for foods.- EndsTrending Reel
The Print
18-06-2025
- The Print
Telangana cops book Palamur Biosciences on animal cruelty charge after PETA ‘house of horrors' exposé
On 10 June, in a post on X, PETA India revealed large-scale animal abuse at the Telangana-based Palamur Biosciences Pvt Ltd, one of India's largest government-registered contract laboratories. The information provided by whistleblowers alleged that the facility was killing dogs and other animals without reason and with extreme cruelty, overcrowding them, and subjecting them to social isolation, among other things. PETA India, while asserting that such instances were not isolated but reflect a 'recurring pattern' in the global animal experimentation industry, called on the government to shut down the facility, which it dubbed a 'house of horrors,' and end animal testing in India. New Delhi: Police in Telangana's Mahabubnagar Tuesday booked Palamur Biosciences Pvt Ltd, a preclinical contract research organisation, on a complaint filed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India which last week cited revelations by a whistleblower to allege a pattern of animal cruelty at the firm's laboratory. The whistleblowers stepped forward to share video footage, images and testimonies after PETA India filed official complaints with authorities about the likely unauthorised testing on rhesus macaques at the same lab in October 2024, the report said. The lab claims it is 'one of the largest preclinical service providers' and tests drugs, pesticides, and medical devices on animals. It also runs a beagle breeding facility, where, according to the report, 1,500 beagles were being kept in a space for about 800. Dr Anjana Aggarwal, PETA scientist and research policy adviser, told ThePrint, 'This is not an isolated incident but rather business as usual, where systemic cruelty runs rampant.' 'Past investigations by regulatory bodies have revealed similar abuse and neglect of animals at other Indian labs, and PETA entities around the world have documented this as a recurring pattern in the global animal experimentation industry,' Dr Aggarwal added. In its report, PETA India had said it submitted a complaint with CCSEA, statutory body under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, as well as the CDSCO, the industry regulator for cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and medical devices. PETA India has also reached out to the National GLP Compliance Monitoring Authority (NGCMA), under the Union government's department of science and technology (DST), which issues Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) certificates. According to the body's website, 'GLP-compliance certification is voluntary in nature.' ThePrint reached Palamur Biosciences, Committee for the Purpose of Control And Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CCSEA), Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and National Good Laboratory Practice Compliance Monitoring Authority (NGCMA) for comment over email but had not received a response by the time of publication. The report will be updated if and when a response is received. Also Read: Indian laws are letting animals down every day. It's a legal, moral, ethical issue Filing complaints only the first step Asked if flagging the issue to relevant authorities was enough, Aggarwal said, 'Filing complaints with regulatory bodies is only the first step. What matters is the enforcement of existing standards. Without swift and meaningful punitive action, cruelty to animals thrives unchecked.' She called for the lab in Telangana to be shut down, saying, 'We urge government regulators to end the torment of animals imprisoned at Palamur Biosciences. Anything less than the facility's permanent shutdown is a green light for abuse.' To better regulate such facilities, she said, 'authorities must conduct genuinely unannounced inspections without advanced notice, ensure full access to historical records and CCTV footage, protect whistleblowers, and impose serious penalties—not mere warnings—for violations.' India, she added, needs to get out of the 'archaic, cruel, and unscientific animal experimentation business,' citing the example of the the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the US National Institute of Health (NIH) that 'have already begun the long-overdue transition away from animal testing'. 'Notably, earlier this year, the NIH closed down its beagle laboratory, and the US Navy ended all its testing on dogs and cats, which stands in stark contrast to Palamur Biosciences' breeding and testing on beagles and other animals,' Aggarwal said. What PETA India report said—Inside the 'house of horrors' The report, which PETA said was a first-of-its-kind whistleblower exposé, documented the neglect of dogs, pigs, and monkeys used by Palamur Biosciences. The lab is located in Karvena village, Mahabubnagar district. A whistleblower said that, at the lab, being deemed 'useless' meant certain death for the animal. They shared several instances where animals were allegedly killed, including two involving sick dogs—one with a cherry eye and a beagle with a fungal infection. One whistleblower told PETA India that over 100 dogs were killed in a single incident simply because they were no longer considered 'useful'. According to the PETA report, animals were also being subjected to overcrowding and competition for food, resulting in extreme frustration and frequent fights that often caused serious injuries. Above all, basic treatment, proper wound cleaning, and pain management weren't provided by the company. Rough handling of dogs often led to fractures, the report said. Lab workers also showed cruelty while conducting testing, including studies where 'dogs were injected subcutaneously with test compounds'. 'According to a whistleblower, animals developed abscesses, ulcers, and signs of severe pain following these injections,' it said. A whistleblower alleged that, depending on the location of the abscess, further health issues were seen in the dogs. The report further claimed that the laboratory purchased Göttingen minipigs from Denmark, but does not have a license to breed them. When a minipig was found pregnant, the head veterinarian allegedly ordered the killing of the piglets through intracardiac injection. Despite a policy requiring Palamur to provide playtime for pigs, they are only permitted access to enrichment when customers are around, the report alleged. According to the allegations, among the wild rhesus macaques from Rajasthan, some tested positive for zoonotic pathogens, likely monkeypox. The company simply kept quiet and killed the monkeys, risking infection to others, the report claimed. Riju Chanda is an intern with ThePrint (Edited by Sanya Mathur) Also Read: Goldfish in perfume bottle, protected species on sale—DU students' report on horrors of Delhi pet shops
India Today
10-06-2025
- Health
- India Today
Animal rights group Peta wants Telangana lab closed over cruelty allegations
Animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) India has urged the central government to permanently shut down a registered animal testing facility in Telangana, citing chronic and grave violations of animal welfare a letter addressed to Abhijit Mitra, Chairman of the Committee for the Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CCSEA), Peta India said it had obtained video footage, photos, and insider testimonies from former employees documenting the alleged abuse at the Mahabubnagar-based facility between 2021 and group urged the CCSEA to revoke the Palamur Biosciences Pvt Ltd registration and rehabilitate all surviving animals. News agency PTI reached out to Palamur Biosciences for a reaction but did not receive a response. In the letter, Peta India claimed the company kept nearly 1,500 beagles in a space designed for only 800, bred them far beyond recommended limits, and failed to provide medical care even in cases of serious injuries and animal rights group alleged widespread noncompliance with the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and CCSEA guidelines. Dogs were allegedly injected with test substances that caused abscesses, ulcers, and severe pain, with many left untreated. Some dogs vomited large amounts of blood before dying, the letter said, citing also accused staff of rough handling, including kicking animals and slamming cage doors on their limbs, as seen on letter raised concerns about the company's treatment of minipigs and monkeys. It alleged that piglets born from an unlicensed minipig breeding were killed using painful intracardiac injections without reportedly captured illegally from Rajasthan were kept in plastic bags during transport, and two tested positive for monkeypox. Despite the public health risk, the company allegedly proceeded with testing on the remaining animals."These actions not only flout Indian animal welfare regulations but also pose biosecurity and ethical risks," said Dr Anjana Aggarwal, PETA India's Scientist and Research Policy Advisor, who signed the company's practices are entirely out of step with global developments, such as the U.S. government's recent decision to phase out animal testing, the letter recent announcements by the U.S. FDA and NIH promoting human-relevant alternatives to animal experiments, PETA India urged Indian authorities to take a similar path and start by ensuring the release of all animals from Palamur Biosciences to loving homes or recognised India offered to work with NGOs to assist with the placement and care of the animals. The CCSEA operates under the Department of Animal Husbandry and by Rithu Pawar IN THIS STORY#Telangana
Hindustan Times
10-06-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
PETA India urges Centre to shut down Telangana animal testing facility over abuse allegations
New Delhi, Animal rights group PETA India has called on the Centre to permanently shut down a registered animal testing facility in Telangana, citing 'chronic and grave violations' of animal welfare laws, officials said on Tuesday. In a letter addressed to Dr Abhijit Mitra, Chairman of the Committee for the Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals , PETA India said it had obtained video footage, photos, and insider testimonies from former employees documenting the alleged abuse at the Mahabubnagar-based facility between 2021 and 2023. The group urged the CCSEA to revoke the Palamur Biosciences Pvt Ltd registration and rehabilitate all surviving animals. PTI reached out to Palamur Biosciences Pvt Ltd for a reaction but did not receive a response till the filing of this story. In the letter, PETA India claimed the company kept nearly 1,500 beagles in a space designed for only 800, bred them far beyond recommended limits, and "failed to provide medical care even in cases of serious injuries and infections'. The animal rights group further alleged widespread noncompliance with the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and CCSEA guidelines. Dogs were allegedly injected with test substances that caused abscesses, ulcers, and severe pain, with many left untreated. 'Some dogs vomited large amounts of blood before dying,' the letter said, citing whistleblowers. It also accused staff of rough handling, including kicking animals and slamming cage doors on their limbs, as seen on CCTV. The letter also raised serious concerns about the company's treatment of minipigs and monkeys. It alleged that piglets born from an unlicensed minipig breeding were killed using painful intracardiac injections without sedation. Monkeys reportedly captured illegally from Rajasthan were kept in plastic bags during transport, and two tested positive for monkeypox. Despite the public health risk, the company allegedly proceeded with testing on the remaining animals. 'These actions not only flout Indian animal welfare regulations but also pose biosecurity and ethical risks,' said Dr Anjana Aggarwal, PETA India's Scientist and Research Policy Advisor, who signed the letter. 'The company's practices are entirely out of step with global developments, such as the U.S. government's recent decision to phase out animal testing,' the letter said. Citing recent announcements by the U.S. FDA and NIH promoting human-relevant alternatives to animal experiments, PETA India urged Indian authorities to take a similar path and start by ensuring the release of all animals from Palamur Biosciences to 'loving homes or recognised sanctuaries.' PETA India further offered to work with NGOs to assist with the placement and care of the animals. The CCSEA operates under the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
