Ballarini
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 2 November 2026 · 6 sources
Italian maker of nonstick aluminium frying pans and cookware.
There's no proof Ballarini pays more than the legal minimum, which in China is below a living wage, and it has no full independent audit.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 2 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It doesn't show that workers are paid a living wage, and isn't certified as working towards one. On Track needs at least one of these.
- 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 2 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 China and India, 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
- Met: High-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) traced or certified, or not a major part of its rangeNone recorded in a major share of its range
Red flags 2
- 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
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
Ballarini names some of the countries it makes in: Italy and China. The rest is shown as where homewares and appliances are usually made.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Italy | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| PolandUsual for the industry | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| MalaysiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- No high-risk raw materials (such as timber and cotton) are recorded in a major share of its range, so the raw-material check doesn't hold it back for Good.
- Makes part of its range in its own factories
- Modern slavery statement
Research notes Ballarini's nonstick aluminium cookware is made at its own factory in Rivarolo Mantovano, Italy, where about 300 people stamp and coat the pans, but Zwilling lists Ballarini knife sets as made in China by makers it does not name. Parent Werhahn's 2025 modern slavery statement says Zwilling is an amfori BSCI member with mostly third-party supplier audits, but names no Ballarini suppliers, publishes no results and makes no living wage commitment.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Covered by the Werhahn Group's UK Modern Slavery Act statement for 2025 (published May 2026), which includes its Zwilling consumer goods division. View |
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Baptist World Aid does not rate cookware brands. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Ballarini (Winning Appliances) · search the archive · Ballarini cookware sold by Winning Appliances in Australia
- Werhahn Group UK Modern Slavery Act statement 2025 · search the archive · FY2025 statement (May 2026): amfori BSCI member, third-party supplier audits; consumer goods sites incl. Italy and China
Published by Ballarini or its owner
- Ballarini brand story (Zwilling) · search the archive · Founded 1889; Zwilling group since 2015; own factory in Rivarolo Mantovano with about 300 staff
- Zwilling: The home of craftsmanship · search the archive · Ballarini aluminium cookware stamped and coated in Rivarolo Mantovano
- Zwilling: Proudly made with heart and hand · search the archive · Rivarolo Mantovano factory handles whole Ballarini production process
- Ballarini Brenta 7-pc knife block set (Zwilling) · search the archive · Country of origin: China
Company details
- Headquarters
- Italy
- Employees
- About 300
- Last researched
- 2 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Ballarini ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/ballarini, last researched 2 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded cookware and tableware
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Ballarini.