HelloFresh accused of using coconut milk made using monkey labour in Thailand

PETA Asia urges HelloFresh – a global meal-kit company – to “do the right thing” and stop using coconut milk made using monkey labour in Thailand.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) says HelloFresh’s coconut milk is supplied by Suree and Aroy-D, two brands that PETA says have admitted to using monkey labour in their coconut milk production.

PETA says HelloFresh have “known for years about the rampant use of monkey labour in the Thai coconut industry” but is “still refusing to do the right thing by moving its coconut milk supply chain out of Thailand.”

The nonprofit animal rights organisation has conducted three investigations into Thailand’s coconut industry and has released footage of monkeys being chained, whipped, beaten, and allegedly being forced to spend long hours picking coconuts.

After the first two investigations, PETA says the Thai government and coconut producers claimed that monkeys were no longer used in the making of their exported coconut milk.

PETA claims that their third investigation – conducted over eight months from December 21 – July 2022 – proves that the claims were false and monkey abuse remains rampant, especially in southern Thailand.

HelloFresh has responded to the accusations by saying it receives written assurances from suppliers saying its coconuts are not obtained by monkeys. In a statement to CBS, HelloFresh said…

“HelloFresh strictly condemns any use of monkey labour 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 labour. We have written confirmation from all of our suppliers — in the US and globally — that they do not engage in these practices.”

Macaques, who are social animals, are allegedly kidnapped from nature, forced into solitude in cages, chained up, and subject to coconut picking training. Once their training is complete, the monkeys are sold to coconut pickers, claim PETA.

PETA’s investigations previously singled out the coconut milk brand Chaokoh. PETA says nearly 40,000 grocery stores worldwide have pulled Chaokoh from their shelves after their investigation was published.