'Taste' trumps 'not being in pain'

Here's yet another example to counter the, "But animals are exploited to cure cancer," crowd. (Heed my warnings though when attacking these assumptions on this front.)

From PETA:

"In only a few days, children around the world will be ringing doorbells and looking for Halloween treats. As scary as some of their costumes might be, the true horror this holiday will actually be the M&Ms, Snickers, or Skittles candies that lie in your child's candy bag. All these candies, along with many other candies sold under household names, are manufactured by Mars Inc., a company responsible for the deaths of numerous animals in unnecessary animal tests.

The experiments funded by Mars, including the following examples, are truly the stuff of Halloween nightmares:

• Rats have been force-fed chocolate chemicals and had needles jabbed directly into their still beating hearts.

• Rabbits have been cut apart to determine the effects of cocoa on muscle tissue.

• Guinea pigs have had cocoa ingredients injected into arteries in their necks to measure the impact on their blood pressure.

And these are only a few of the tests that Mars has funded. Perhaps most disturbingly of all, not one of Mars' experiments on animals is required by law.

"But," the defenders of wanton animal exploitation argue,

"it's better that these animals suffer and die than cute little human babies who just want to enjoy a tasty piece of candy. So, I'm sorry, but humans are at the top of the hierarchy - they have to be."

Subtext: A) The interests, no matter how fundamental they may be (e.g., not being in pain), of animals don't count when weighed against human interests, no matter how trivial they may be (e.g., I want another flavor of jolly rancher). And B), it's clearly the only way to do it. My evidence: Because these industries continue to do so and they wouldn't unnecessarily torture animals. Right? Wrong: 

"Thanks to PETA's hard work and pressure, many of the world's major food corporations--including Mars' chief rival, Hershey's, and Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Co--have pledged not to fund or conduct experiments on animals."

Competing interests ladies and gentlemen: As our prejudice determines the outcome, "taste" trumps not "being in pain". Defend that. I await a response. 

Will be crossposted @ Vegan Soapbox