You think Mars is just about Snickers and M&M’s? A quick sugar hit or some kibble for your mutt? Bullshit. Behind the shiny wrappers and feel-good ads, there’s a cesspool of exploitation and lies that’ll make your skin crawl. Let’s tear into the mess that is Mars Inc., and don’t expect me to hold your hand.
Kids Picking Your Chocolate in Chains
Imagine kids, barely five, busting their asses in cocoa fields under a brutal sun in Ghana. Their tiny hands harvest the beans for your fucking M&M’s. A 2023 CBS News investigation caught Mars with its pants down – kids working despite the company’s big talk about ending child labor by 2025 (Leading candy manufacturer Mars Inc. accused of using child labor in CBS investigation). Their “monitoring” was a joke – supervisors faked data, listing kids as “in school” while they slaved away. Mars mumbled some crap about investigating, but it’s all smoke. Worse? A 2021 lawsuit nailed them for profiting off child slavery in Côte d’Ivoire (Sweet Chocolate, Bitter Truth: Internet Distraction and the Reality of Mars Inc.’s Child Slavery Practices). Kids trafficked, kidnapped, or sold by desperate parents, forced to work for nothing. Mars signed a deal in 2001 to stop this shit. Twenty-four years later, they’re still screwing it up.
Glow-in-the-Dark Candy and Pissed-Off Parents
Those neon Skittles you pop like candy crack? Loaded with artificial food dyes that might fuck with your health. X is blowing up with parents raging about Mars poisoning kids with every rainbow bite (https://twitter.com/search?q=mars%20food%20dyes&src=typed_query). Mars caved on some ingredients after public shaming, but those dyes? Still there, still screwing with you. It’s not just candy – it’s a middle finger to consumer safety.
Lies, Lawsuits, and Laughable Settlements
Mars has a knack for bullshitting its customers. Their Eclipse gum claimed to “scientifically” kill germs – pure fiction. They coughed up $6 million to settle a class action lawsuit, no apology (Wrigley Settles False-Ad Class Action For $6M). Then their Natura pet food brand got hit for lying about “human-grade” kibble, settling for $2.15 million – most pet owners got a measly $43.90 (Natura Pet Food Settles Class Action Lawsuit; Consumers Get Shafted – Again). Justice? More like a slap on the wrist with a wet noodle.
Playing Favorites with Hiring
Think Mars is all about equality? Think again. In 2023, America First Legal slammed them with a civil rights complaint for discriminatory hiring – favoring certain races and genders while waving the “diversity” flag (America First Legal hits Mars with civil rights complaint, cites candy giant’s woke hiring, training practices). It reminds us of a local company with a predisposition for avoiding disabled applicants. Mars swears they’re clean, but the accusation stinks of hypocrisy. Add in $9.2 million in penalties since 2000 for environmental fuck-ups and workplace safety violations, and you’ve got a company that’s dirty from top to bottom.
The Bitter Aftertaste
Next time you grab a Mars bar or toss some Pedigree in your dog’s bowl, remember: every bite’s got a backstory of exploitation, lies, and corporate greed. Mars isn’t just a brand – it’s a masterclass in dodging accountability while the world eats it up. And that’s the goddamn truth.
Lee Thompson – Founder, The Cummins Accountability Project