Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 23 October 2026 · 5 sources
Swedish pickled herring, canned tuna and fish brand owned by Orkla.
Until Abba traces its fish and seafood to the boat or farm and has the conditions of the people who catch or farm it checked independently, it can't show that they are free and fairly paid.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Abba? Send a right of reply.
Compare Abba with another brand
Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It relies on fish and seafood that it can't trace to the boat or farm. That alone means a poor grade until it takes steps to trace it and check the conditions of the people who catch or farm it.
- It isn't Harm on record, because there's no serious confirmed problem on its record.
- Lacks transparency is still a poor grade: in supply chains like this, workers who can't be seen to be treated fairly are usually underpaid or unprotected.
Good requirements 1 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsMost of its products are made in countries such as Thailand and China, where unions are heavily restricted, and it has no full supply chain audit.
- Not met: Supply chain independently audited or certified, or at least 80% made in countries with strong labour standards
- Met: No child or forced labour findings or links
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- Not met: Traces its catch to the boat or farm and has crews' or farm workers' conditions checked independently
Red flags 3
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Made mostly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
- Red flag: Relies on fish and seafood it can't trace to the boat or farm
- Red flag: Fails its category's raw-material check (means Lacks transparency)
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
Abba says it makes products in Sweden. Product labels show Thailand. The rest is shown as where fish and seafood are usually processed.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thailand | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Sweden | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| AustraliaUsual for the industry | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| EcuadorUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| NorwayUsual for the industry | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: fishing fleets and processing plants have some of the worst documented forced labour, including trafficked crews held at sea for years.
- Makes part of its range in its own factories
- Modern slavery statement
- Relies on fish and seafood from fishing boats and farms, where crews and farm workers, often migrants recruited into debt, have been held for months or years, beaten and denied pay, out of reach of factory audits. It hasn't shown any steps to trace its fish and seafood to the boat or farm or have the conditions of the people who catch or farm it checked, so it's graded Lacks transparency until it does.
Research notes All Abba herring is made at Orkla's own plant in Kungshamn, Sweden, from MSC-labelled North Atlantic herring; its MSC skipjack tuna is labelled as made in Thailand by a processor that is not named, from Pacific or Indian Ocean catches. Abba says it traces fish from boat to factory with written legality guarantees, but publishes no vessel or cannery list. Orkla's Transparency Act report covers supplier audits through Sedex/SMETA but says nothing on seafood, fishing crews or Thai tuna risks, and no independent crew checks are reported.
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Orkla's Abba brand to offer sustainable, traceable tuna in Sweden (Just Food, 2016) · Abba tuna is MSC-certified Pacifical tuna from the PNA island states, traceable to vessel; no mention of crew or labour conditions
- Abba sill - en kär favorit (Orkla Foods Sverige press release, 2019) · search the archive · All Abba herring production takes place in Kungshamn; North Atlantic herring; Abba herring is MSC-labelled
- Abba MSC tonnikalaa öljyssä 200/150 g (Kärkkäinen) · search the archive · Abba MSC tuna, country of origin Thailand; marketed by Orkla Foods Finland
- Abba (Business Sweden) · search the archive · Owned by Orkla Foods Sverige; traceability from boats to factory with legality guarantees; aims for MSC on as many products as possible; sold via Swedish export promotion
- Orkla Transparency Act Report 2024 · search the archive · Group human rights due diligence via Sedex/SMETA audits; Orkla Foods plants in the Nordics and elsewhere; no seafood-specific findings or measures
Company details
- Owned by
- Orkla Foods Sverige (Orkla ASA)
- Headquarters
- Sweden
- Last researched
- 23 October 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Abba ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/abba, last researched 23 October 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Other canned and pouched fish brands
Nothing we've rated in canned and pouched fish is better than Lacks transparency yet.
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Abba.