The Draize test was developed in 1940s, used by the cosmetic industry, is the procedure where a test substance is applied to the eye or skin of a restrained, conscious animal, and then leaving it for set amount of time before rinsing it out and recording its effects. The test is still used in India although superior non-animal test methods exist. This obsolete animal test is still a legal requirement in some product sectors in India, such as pesticides. Pesticides are among the most heavily animal-tested products in existence, from weed killers, rat poison, insect repellent and germ cleansers. Reputably, Indian regulations require dozens of different animal-poisoning tests to assess the safety of a single new pesticide that is brought to market. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has testing technologies that make pesticide safety testing cheaper, quicker and close to animal free.
