As further proof that there can be nothing good or pure in this world, it turns out that Haribo might be using literal slave labour to manufacture their beloved gummy bears.
A documentary by the German public broadcaster WDR named The Haribo Check alleges that a key ingredient of Haribo gummies, carnauba wax, is harvested in Brazil by workers who work in hot, unsafe and unsanitary environments. The doco suggests that the workers are often forced to stay on the plantations for a month before being allowed to go home, live in rundown sleeping arrangements, and aren’t given protective equipment.
The doco is here, if you’re willing to listen to 44 minutes of German narration:
Sergio Carvalho from the Ministry of Labor in Brazil says that the working conditions depicted in the documentary meet the criteria for slavery under the country’s labour laws.
The Haribo Check also audits Haribo’s gelatin supply chain, and finds that the pig farms they use have animals living in terrible, abusive conditions.
In a post on their website, Haribo addressed the claims in the documentary, saying that they will conduct their own investigation into their supply chain. The company claims that they only use cornuba wax in small quantities, and cannot confirm whether they use the supplier named in the documentary as no names are provided.
The full statement is below:
In our coating, Carnauba wax is included in small quantities, as is the case in the products of our competitors, which the WDR does not report.
Whether the plantations shown are plants that work as suppliers to our suppliers, we do not know, since the WDR does not name the exact sources in the reportage. We asked for information. We are already in intensive exchange with our supplier to find out how the conditions are in the supply companies. If it turns out that they agree with the conditions shown in the reportage, we will act naturally.
For us, the following principle applies: Social and ethical standards are non-negotiable. That is and has always been our attitude. We will use the reportage of the WDR as an opportunity to deepen the discussions with our suppliers again. This is expressly independent of whether or not the pictures shown are related to us.
