Letter+to+Mars

Dear Mars Candy,

It has come to my attention that in order to test your products including many types of chocolate and other candies, you have used mice, rats, and rabbits. These tests are not required, and many human tests are safer and more reliable. Also, many other top companies including Hershey’s, Coca Cola, and PepsiCo do not use animal testing. My question is what is the benefit of the testing? If many top companies don’t use these procedures and it’s not required for human safety, why do you use it and is it really necessary?

Some of your testing includes forcing tubes down rat’s throats making them consume your product. Then, the rat’s leg is cut open to expose their artery. After their pain and suffering, they are simply put to death. Another one: mice are fed a certain ingredient and then forced to swim in a pool of water mixed with paint. Afterwards, they are put to death. More still: baby mice are placed in a glass box and then submerged under cold water for five hours. Then, tubes are shoved down their throats. And finally, rabbits are forced to eat a high cholesterol diet. They are then cut up and their tissue is examined.

You may think you are making your product safer, but all you are doing is ruining your reputation. When we hear about what your doing to these animals, we don’t think, “Oh that’s terrific! I feel confident eating this because it has been tested on rats!” We think about the suffering of these animals, and hearing about these gruesome tests doesn’t exactly make us want to go eat a Snickers bar. I feel that by ending your tests on animals, you will ultimately improve business, and save the lives of many animals in the process.

Sincerely, Brandon