Lush Prize calls for entries from UAE

RITIKA SHARMA / Emirates Business

Did you ever know that animals often bear the brunt to make you look ‘good’? Dozens of rabbits and mices might have been tortured to make that shampoo and fragrant face cream that you use everyday.
More than 115 million animals are used in testing laboratories around the world for the beauty products in the market that lure you.
If you are an animal lover and cannot stand any act of cruelty against the animals, UK-based cosmetic and beauty product brand Lush is standing by you. If you are working for animal protection socially or devising alternative ways of animal testing academically, the brand has good news for you.
The premier Lush Prize is now open for entries from all those, in this region, who vouch for the cause. Scientists and campaigners from UAE and Middle East, for the first time, are encouraged to submit nominations for an annual prize that has already awarded over one million pounds to ‘outstanding’ non-animal testing initiatives around the world.
Karl Bygrave, Director of Lush Regulatory Affairs and Prize management, said, “Through the Lush Prize we are able to help fund breakthroughs and discovering what is truly safe and what isn’t. We look at what is being asked for by regulators and show alternatives that have been validated and agreed by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). I am glad that we now officially call for entries form this part of the world.”
With £250,000 available, the Lush Prize — a collaboration between Lush Cosmetics and Ethical Consumer Research Association — is the largest annual global prize fund in the non-animal testing sector. 55 projects in 22 countries have already been supported, ranging from animal protection organisations in Taiwan and Russia to Sweden’s Karolinska Institute and the OECD’s Adverse Outcome Pathway programme in France.
“Nominations for the 2016 Lush Prize will be opened on April 25, a day after World Day for Animals in Laboratories. The prize supports initiatives to end the use of animals in toxicology (chemical testing) research and is divided into five categories: Science, Training, Young Researcher, Lobbying, Public Awareness,” Karl stated.
Nominations for the prize can be made online at www.lushprize.org and it will be closed on July 24. A panel of expert judges from around the world will meet in September and winners will be awarded their prizes at a ceremony in London in November.