Mars (Snikers, Mars Bars) starts using animal products

Tam_Lin

No, the issue is that animal rennet comes from stomach lining and can only be extracted from dead animals; the same is not true of milk. For vegetarians, it's the death of the calf which is the issue here.

It won't affect vegans because they wouldn't eat whey whether it was produced with animal rennet or non-animal rennet; they avoid whey because it comes from milk, so they wouldn't be eating Mars or Snickers anyway. So this really is an issue for vegetarians and not vegans.

bubblesbonbon

My OH has been a veggie since being a kid (her definition being "produce that comes from anything that used to have eyes and has been killed to get it"). Consequently our shopping tends to take twice as long because we have to read the food labels. I remember that Walkers once changed their Cheese & Onion crisps to use animal rennet on the quiet and I made the mistake of telling her when she was enjoying a packet. It took ages to clean my glasses. - The crisps are veggie now though.
ALL of Mars' confectionary is banned here now and she has discovered that Tesco's own brands are veggie and half the price.

Mr_Urdd

considering Mars tested its products on rabbits to see if they rotted their teeth I cant believe any real vegetarian would eat them anyway.

Tam_Lin

Mr_Urdd wrote: »

considering Mars tested its products on rabbits to see if they rotted their teeth I cant believe any real vegetarian would eat them anyway.

I wasn't aware of that; do Cadbury Schweppes do the same?

GreenNinja

I am actually quite shocked to hear that chocolate bars are tested on animals in such a way. It makes me wonder what else goes on that I am completely ignorant of.

Mr_Urdd

I recently read that over 12,000 animals died at Huntington testing Splenda.

Markyt

Mr_Urdd wrote: »

considering Mars tested its products on rabbits to see if they rotted their teeth I cant believe any real vegetarian would eat them anyway.

Got an independant link for that? I can't believe its true. I can't believe it is required in the first place, so why waste money doing it, and I can't believe they'd do it on an animal whose teeth constantly grow, and would have grown out before they rotted.

Mr_Urdd

Tam_Lin wrote: »

I wasn't aware of that; do Cadbury Schweppes do the same?

http://www.cadburyschweppes.com/EN/EnvironmentSociety/Consumer/Topics/intense_sweeteners.htm?WBCMODE=PresentationUnpublisheddetail.htmwebcastlist.h?printable=true

intense sweeteners

Intense sweeteners include aspartame, cyclamates, saccharin, sucralose, and Splenda and are used to add sweetness without calories.

Mr_Urdd

Markyt wrote: »

Got an independant link for that? I can't believe its true. I can't believe it is required in the first place, so why waste money doing it, and I can't believe they'd do it on an animal whose teeth constantly grow, and would have grown out before they rotted.

I will look for a suitable link, but its irrelevant as Pedigree Pet Foods (Mars) are well known for using animals to test the safety of new products before they go to market.

T

he animals involved, mainly cats and dogs, can spend almost their entire lives as experimental tools, enduring years of procedures that have the potential to cause anything from discomfort and distress to severe pain and suffering. The BUAV's undercover investigation and subsequent research makes disturbing reading and will shock loving pet owners everywhere.

The global pet food market is highly competitive and lucrative. In the UK alone it is worth £1.5billion, and worldwide it is estimated to be a massive $25billion. The evidence we have uncovered involves major companies (or researchers employed by them) such as Nestlé Purina, Pedigree Pet Foods (Mars), Hill's Pet Nutrition (Colgate-Palmolive) and Iams (Procter & Gamble).

It is ethically unacceptable for animals to suffer in tests carried out or funded by commercial pet food companies. Just like the happy looking cats and dogs portrayed in pet food advertising, animals should be treated with respect, free from any unnecessary suffering. Pet owners will be shocked to discover that, behind closed doors, these same companies are prepared to inflict suffering in order to sell their products to unsuspecting and caring owners.

(link contains photo's of caged animals that some may find upsetting)

http://www.buav.org/campaigns/petfood/facts.html

Markyt

GreenNinja wrote: »

I am actually quite shocked to hear that chocolate bars are tested on animals in such a way. It makes me wonder what else goes on that I am completely ignorant of.

Its b*llocks - chocolate is poisonous to rabbits.

http://www.greenwichrabbitrescue.com/poisoning.htm