The Fixed Cut-Off Date (FCOD) animal-testing policy is the recognised benchmark for cruelty-free cosmetics, toiletries and household cleaning products.

Virtually all ingredients have been tested on animals in the past, and many countries continue to test new ingredients. By adopting an FCOD policy, you and your suppliers agree that you won’t use any ingredients tested on animals after a fixed date. In doing so, you strengthen your cruelty-free credentials and demonstrate you’re committed to your ethical values.

For more information on FCOD policies and guidance on how to set one up, please download our company pack.

No. Your Fixed Cut-Off Date relates solely to the ingredients you use. It has nothing to do with when you started your company.

Yes. Your Fixed Cut-Off Date should be the date of your most recently tested ingredient. If you have a parent company, their FCOD will also be taken into account, as well as the FCODs of any subsidiaries.

Subsidiary profits can boost a parent company’s earnings, which may indirectly fund animal testing elsewhere in the business. Examples could include large multinational companies operating in countries where animal testing is required by law, or companies with subsidiaries that work in sectors such as bioscience or pharmaceuticals, where animal testing takes place. Some companies may even produce products with tested ingredients for certain markets whilst avoiding these ingredients in countries where testing is banned.

We believe that true cruelty-free status requires both the parent company and all subsidiaries to adopt an FCOD animal-testing policy.

Every endorsement is different, and though we all share the goal of ending animal suffering, our standards may vary. Our endorsement scheme is one of the strongest of its type in the world, and becoming endorsed with us is a quick and easy way to introduce a wider range of cruelty-free shoppers to your company.

If you’ve used your FCOD for a previous endorsement and it’s still accurate, you can use the same date on your free Compassionate Shopping Guide application.

Not necessarily. Your ingredients might be vegetarian/vegan/organic, but that doesn’t guarantee that they haven’t been tested on animals.

No. Once you have your FCOD, our questionnaire won’t take long to complete. We may contact you with questions and we may, on occasion, ask you to complete a new questionnaire if policies change.

Yes. We’ll ask you to renew your endorsement every three years. We’ll also ask you to keep us updated if anything changes that might affect your endorsement.

No. There’s no charge to be included in the Compassionate Shopping Guide. Naturewatch Foundation wants to encourage cruelty-free shopping, so the online guide is free for shoppers and endorsement is free for companies.

Follow the link below to start your application today!

You can use the Compassionate Shopping Guide logo on your website and products. We’ll send you the artwork when you become endorsed and it’s completely free to use.