Re: Complaint-ConsumerCareComplaint-Hugh Clark
Good Afternoon,
Our consumer feedback is very important to us, and we thank you for taking the time to contact us.
We care passionately about animals and their wellbeing.
In developing our food, pet care, snack and drinks products, we do not undertake, support or sponsor research involving euthanasia, vivisection or the suffering of any animal.
We do undertake research programs involving limited forms of animal testing within our Symbioscience business. This research is only conducted if it is required by law/regulation for the purpose of demonstrating the safety or efficacy of products and only if it involves the use of rats and mice.
Symbioscience, a separate business unit, is developing pharmaceutical and therapeutic food ingredients that have the potential to contribute significantly to human health and well being and to alleviate or reverse existing medical conditions. For example, we are currently researching the potential therapeutic effects of flavanol compounds on heart health, vascular health, cognitive health, the treatment of diabetes and certain forms of cancer.
We are aware that our Symbioscience research programs constitute an exception to the position we have taken on animal testing in all our other businesses. However, we are required to comply with legal and regulatory testing requirements when conducting this research.
Mars, Incorporated has an Animal Research Review Board including both internal and external experts, which carries out an annual review of our processes and procedures to assure that our portfolio of research is in compliance with the corporate policy on research involving animals.
If you need any further information or advice please contact our Consumer Careline on the telephone number below and one of our Consumer Care Advisors will be more than happy to help you.
Kind regards.
Margaret Henson
Consumer Care Team
0800 738 800
So, I did call. At first the person who answered told me no experiments were done on animals. After I told her the email from Mars that resulted in my call admits animals are tested on, she changed it to any 'significant' animals and that they were required by law to do these experiments. I said I disputed that and cited what PETA had brought to my attention. She asked if she could put me on hold yet again (It was roughly each minute by now) and I suggested that the person in the background prompting her should just speak to me directly. She did but only to say she was going to transfer my call to head office. Head office said it was not true they experimented on animals. Again, I highlighted the email. She said that was not Mars but a company owned by Mars and she was not prepared to comment any further as they are a separate company. I replied that while Mars or their sister company test on animals I will boycott the products and due to the devious, obstructive way my enquiry had been handled, I would actively campaign to bring this to people attention.
When I asked if they planned to take PETA to court regarding their claims, I was told no. When I asked what they intended to do to refute PETAs claims, she said they had wrote them a letter asking them to stop but it is not possible to stop anybody saying whatever they want. I said surely there was liable law and she just repeated you can't stop people saying what they want.
She suggested I take my complaint direct to Symbioscience or the Home office. I may do both.
They agreed that people boycotting their products due to the experiments carried out on animals could result in a change of policy but that there had only been a handful of complaints on the subject in total. I sense yet another lie.
Now, over to you.
http://www.friendsofanimals.org/actionline/winter-2006/buy-fair-trade.php
