Best Cruelty-Free Stocks to Invest In (2026)
Animal welfare is no longer a niche concern. Consumers are walking away from brands that test on animals, investors are screening for cruelty-free practices, and regulators in the EU, UK, and parts of Asia are tightening animal testing laws. The question for investors is straightforward: which publicly traded companies actually score well on animal welfare?
We scored companies across 11 independent ethical dimensions, including Kind to Animals -- a dedicated dimension that evaluates animal testing policies, cruelty-free certifications, cage-free sourcing, welfare audits, and investments in animal-free alternatives. Our data comes from certification registries, regulatory filings, supply chain audits, and investigative reports. No corporate self-assessments.
Here are the 10 public companies that scored highest on our Kind to Animals dimension.
1. Veganz Group (VEZ.XETRA) -- Kind to Animals: +70 | Average: +12.7
Veganz leads our cruelty-free ranking with the highest animal welfare score of any public company in our database.
| Dimension | Score |
|---|---|
| Kind to Animals | +70 |
| Better Health for All | +40 |
| Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing | +10 |
| Honest & Fair Business | +10 |
| Planet-Friendly Business | +10 |
Veganz, the Berlin-based vegan food company, scores +70 on animal welfare -- the highest in our ranking by a significant margin. As a fully plant-based food producer, the company has no animal testing operations and no animal-derived ingredients in its supply chain. Its +40 on health reflects the growing body of evidence linking plant-based diets to positive health outcomes. Veganz also scores positively on ethical sourcing and governance, with no negative flags across any dimension.
View Veganz's full score breakdown -->
2. Moolec Science (MLEC.US) -- Kind to Animals: +50 | Average: +6.4
Moolec Science, the molecular farming company, earns the second-highest animal welfare score in our ranking.
| Dimension | Score |
|---|---|
| Kind to Animals | +50 |
| Better Health for All | +20 |
Moolec develops plant-based proteins using molecular farming technology -- essentially growing animal proteins inside plants, eliminating the need for animal agriculture entirely. Its +50 on animal welfare reflects this fundamental approach to removing animals from the food production chain. The company's +20 on health recognises the potential of its technology to deliver animal-equivalent nutrition without animal involvement. No negative scores appear in its profile.
View Moolec Science's full score breakdown -->
3. Steakholder Foods (STKH.US) -- Kind to Animals: +40 | Average: +3.6
Steakholder Foods, the cultivated meat technology company, scores +40 on animal welfare.
| Dimension | Score |
|---|---|
| Kind to Animals | +40 |
Steakholder Foods develops 3D-printed cultivated meat technology designed to produce meat products without slaughter. Its +40 animal welfare score reflects the company's core mission of removing animals from the meat production process. The company scores zero across all other dimensions -- a clean sheet with no negatives. For investors specifically targeting animal welfare, Steakholder represents a pure-play in the cultivated protein space.
View Steakholder Foods' full score breakdown -->
4. Olaplex Holdings (OLPX.US) -- Kind to Animals: +40 | Average: -0.9
Olaplex, the bond-building hair care company, matches Steakholder Foods with a +40 on animal welfare.
| Dimension | Score |
|---|---|
| Kind to Animals | +40 |
| Fair Pay & Worker Respect | -10 |
| Safe & Smart Tech | -40 |
Olaplex's +40 on animal welfare reflects its cruelty-free positioning and absence of animal testing across its product lines. However, the company's overall average is pulled into negative territory by a -40 on data privacy and tech safety. This is a useful illustration of why Mashinii scores across 11 dimensions rather than one: a company can be cruelty-free while carrying risks elsewhere.
View Olaplex's full score breakdown -->
5. United Utilities Group (UU.LSE) -- Kind to Animals: +30 | Average: +4.1
United Utilities, the UK water company, scores +30 on animal welfare alongside strong sustainability metrics.
| Dimension | Score |
|---|---|
| Zero Waste & Sustainable Products | +60 |
| Kind to Animals | +30 |
| Respect for Cultures & Communities | +25 |
| Fair Pay & Worker Respect | +20 |
United Utilities' animal welfare score reflects its responsibilities as a water utility managing waterways and natural habitats. Its operations intersect with wildlife conservation, and the +30 score indicates documented practices around habitat preservation and biodiversity. The company's standout +60 on sustainability makes it the highest-scoring company in this ranking on that dimension.
View United Utilities' full score breakdown -->
6. Wm Morrison Supermarkets (MRW.LSE) -- Kind to Animals: +30 | Average: -3.2
Morrisons, the UK supermarket chain, scores +30 on animal welfare -- the highest of any major food retailer in our analysis.
| Dimension | Score |
|---|---|
| Kind to Animals | +30 |
| Respect for Cultures & Communities | +25 |
| Better Health for All | +20 |
| Zero Waste & Sustainable Products | +10 |
Morrisons' animal welfare score reflects its farm-to-shelf model and documented commitments to cage-free sourcing and humane welfare standards across its supply chain. The company's community score of +25 and health score of +20 are also notable. However, negative scores on governance (-20), worker respect (-30), and environmental performance (-30) bring the average down. For investors focused specifically on animal welfare within food retail, Morrisons stands out.
View Morrisons' full score breakdown -->
7. Synergy CHC Corp (SNYR.US) -- Kind to Animals: +30 | Average: -2.7
Synergy CHC, the consumer health and beauty company, scores +30 on animal welfare.
| Dimension | Score |
|---|---|
| Kind to Animals | +30 |
| Planet-Friendly Business | -20 |
| Fair Pay & Worker Respect | -40 |
Synergy CHC's +30 on animal welfare reflects its cruelty-free product positioning in the personal care space. The company scores zero on most other dimensions, but carries a -40 on worker respect and -20 on environmental performance. Investors considering this stock should weigh its strong animal welfare credentials against these other concerns.
View Synergy CHC's full score breakdown -->
8. Severn Trent (SVT.LSE) -- Kind to Animals: +20 | Average: +10.5
Severn Trent, the UK water and wastewater utility, scores +20 on animal welfare and has the highest overall average in this ranking.
Severn Trent's +20 on animal welfare reflects habitat management and biodiversity practices across its water network operations. What makes Severn Trent particularly interesting is its breadth: positive scores across 8 of 11 dimensions, with an overall average of +10.5 -- the highest of any company in this ranking. For investors who want animal welfare alongside strong overall ethical performance, Severn Trent is the standout pick.
View Severn Trent's full score breakdown -->
9. Whitbread (WTB.LSE) -- Kind to Animals: +20 | Average: +3.2
Whitbread, the UK hospitality company behind Premier Inn and Beefeater, scores +20 on animal welfare.
| Dimension | Score |
|---|---|
| Zero Waste & Sustainable Products | +30 |
| Respect for Cultures & Communities | +25 |
| Honest & Fair Business | +20 |
| Kind to Animals | +20 |
| Better Health for All | +10 |
| Safe & Smart Tech | +10 |
Whitbread's +20 on animal welfare is notable for a hospitality company that sources significant volumes of food products. Its score reflects documented welfare standards in food procurement, including cage-free sourcing commitments. The company also scores positively across sustainability (+30), governance (+20), and community relations (+25).
View Whitbread's full score breakdown -->
10. Kimberly-Clark (KMB.US) -- Kind to Animals: +10 | Average: -4.1
Kimberly-Clark, the consumer goods company behind Huggies and Kleenex, rounds out our top 10 with a +10 on animal welfare.
Kimberly-Clark's +10 on animal welfare places it among the better-scoring consumer goods companies on this dimension, though its performance is modest compared to the pure-play vegan and cruelty-free companies higher on this list. Its governance score of +30 and community score of +25 are solid. However, the company scores poorly on environmental performance (-40), ethical sourcing (-40), and worker respect (-30) -- a reminder that animal welfare is only one piece of the ethical picture.
View Kimberly-Clark's full score breakdown -->
Notable Absences
Several well-known consumer brands that market themselves as ethical or natural did not make this list. Some scored notably poorly on our Kind to Animals dimension:
- Church & Dwight (CHD) -- Kind to Animals: -40. The maker of OxiClean and Arm & Hammer scored the lowest animal welfare score among major consumer goods companies in our analysis. Its -40 reflects documented animal testing practices, according to public records and regulatory filings.
- Estee Lauder (EL) -- Kind to Animals: -30. Despite positioning as a premium beauty company, Estee Lauder scores -30 on animal welfare, driven by animal testing requirements in certain markets where the company continues to sell, according to regulatory records.
- Procter & Gamble (PG) -- Kind to Animals: -30. The world's largest consumer goods company scores -30 on animal welfare. P&G's overall ethical profile is also weak, with an average score of -19.1 across all dimensions.
- Colgate-Palmolive (CL) -- Kind to Animals: -20. Despite strong health (+30) and sustainability (+30) scores, Colgate-Palmolive's -20 on animal welfare reflects ongoing animal testing practices documented in public filings.
- ODDITY Tech (ODD) -- Kind to Animals: -30. The beauty tech company scores -30 on animal welfare and -60 on governance, according to our analysis of publicly available data.
Plant-based companies Beyond Meat (BYND) and Oatly (OTLY) both scored 0 on Kind to Animals -- neutral rather than positive. While their products avoid animal agriculture, our methodology requires documented proactive measures on animal welfare (certifications, supplier audits, policy advocacy) to score positively. Selling plant-based products alone is not sufficient.
Why Animal Welfare Matters for Investors
Animal welfare is increasingly a material risk factor. Regulatory bans on animal testing are expanding -- the EU has banned cosmetics testing on animals, and similar legislation is advancing in the US, South Korea, and India. Companies reliant on animal testing face potential market access restrictions as these regulations tighten.
Consumer preferences are shifting in the same direction. According to public market data, the global cruelty-free cosmetics market and plant-based food market continue to grow at multiples of their conventional counterparts.
Companies that score well on our Kind to Animals dimension are positioned on the right side of these trends. Companies that score poorly may face growing regulatory, reputational, and market risks.
How We Score
Every score on Mashinii is built from independently verifiable sources: certification registries, regulatory filings, court records, investigative journalism, and NGO reports. Companies cannot influence their scores through self-reporting or sustainability disclosures.
The Kind to Animals dimension evaluates 13 specific KPIs including cruelty-free certification coverage, alternative testing adoption, humane operations certification, cage-free sourcing rates, supplier welfare audits, and investments in animal-free R&D. Scores range from -100 to +100.
We score across 11 independent dimensions -- not a single blended rating. A company can score well on animal welfare but poorly on worker rights, and you see both.
Learn more about our methodology -->
What This Means for Your Portfolio
If you care about animal welfare, the companies in your portfolio may not align with your values. Major consumer brands like Procter & Gamble, Estee Lauder, and Church & Dwight -- stocks that appear in many index funds and ESG ETFs -- scored negatively on our Kind to Animals dimension.
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