HelloFresh Accused Of Using Monkey Labor To Obtain Coconut Milk

Meal kit delivery service HelloFresh has been accused of using monkey labor to obtain coconut milk in Thailand, according to allegations from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which has called for a boycott of the company.

According to a Monday report detailing findings of a PETA investigation into 57 operations across nine Thai provinces, monkeys are chained, whipped, beaten and forced to spend long hours picking coconuts, CBS News reports.

“Monkeys are chained around the neck and forced to toil day in and day out, all for HelloFresh and other companies that lack a conscience,” said PETA Executive VP, Tracy Reiman, in an emailed statement to CBS. “PETA is calling on everyone, including HelloFresh, to stop buying canned coconut milk from Thailand until moneys are no longer used and abused for profit.”

HelloFresh told CBS MoneyWatch that the company receives written assurances from suppliers that monkey labor isn’t used to procure coconuts.

Monkey picking coconuts. PETA

“HelloFresh strictly condemns any use of monkey labor in its supply chain, and we take a hard position of not procuring from suppliers or selling coconut products which have been found to use monkey labor. We have written confirmation from all of our suppliers — in the U.S. and globally — that they do not engage in these practices.”

Brokers to HelloFresh’s coconut milk suppliers showed PETA the monkeys, who were chained on trash-strewn patches of dirt and flooded areas with car tires as their only shelter, according to the animal rights group, which published photos from its investigation as well as video footage.

Most of the monkeys are kidnapped from their families in nature, even though the species exploited by the coconut trade are threatened or endangered, according to the animal-welfare group. -CBS News

Based in Berlin, HelloFresh operates in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the U.K. and the U.S., and had 7.5 million active customers in the third quarter.