OREM — At the request of animal rights activists, Utah-based juicemaker Tahitian Noni International announced this week that it will cease funding animal testing of its product.

The announcement came after months of interaction with representatives from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

In a letter sent to PETA this week, Tahitian Noni outlined a new research policy that states in part, "Tahitian Noni International is dedicated to scientifically valid research alternatives to animal testing and will not fund animal research . . . unless required by law."

The policy also extends to Tahitian Noni's cosmetics line, although those products have never been tested on animals.

"What we've done is we're moving away from animal testing," said Shon Whitney, vice president of marketing and communications for Tahitian Noni. "In the past, we haven't done a ton, but we're trying to move away from that as much as possible."

Whitney said in some cases, the government requires testing to be conducted on animals for safety reasons, but said the new policy will not fund animal research under any circumstance where it can be
avoided.

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