Birds Eye (UK and Ireland)
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 23 October 2026 · 10 sources
UK and Irish frozen fish fingers and frozen food brand of Nomad Foods.
Birds Eye's supply chain was linked to forced labour in 2023, and workers in Vietnam are very unlikely to earn a living wage.
Other frozen fish and seafood brands
Nothing we've rated in frozen fish and seafood is better than Lacks transparency yet.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 0 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 3 red flags: no evidence of a living wage, unaudited production in high-risk countries and forced or child labour. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- It isn't Harm on record: the most serious problem on its record (forced labour link, last recorded in 2023) was a link through a supplier, not a finding against the company itself.
- 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 0 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsSome 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
- Not 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 partly in countries with poor worker rights, without a full independent audit of its supply chain
- Red flag: Forced, slave or child labour found in or linked to its supply chain
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
Birds Eye (UK and Ireland) says it makes products in the United Kingdom. Nomad Foods' figures name Vietnam. Press and retailer reports name Germany. The rest is shown as where fish and seafood are usually processed.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vietnam | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| ThailandUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| United Kingdom | Regular violations | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Germany | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| 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
- It traces some of its catch or holds environmental labels such as MSC, ASC or BAP, but doesn't show both that its catch is traced to the boat or farm and that crews' or farm workers' conditions are checked independently. Source
Research notes Nomad's Lowestoft factory in England makes Birds Eye coated fish, chicken, waffles and peas; fish fingers made by Iglo in Bremerhaven, Germany, are also sold as Birds Eye in the UK and Ireland. Nomad has about 17 factories in 11 countries plus co-packers, buys wild fish from the North Atlantic and Pacific and farmed fish from Vietnam, and says 99.9% of its seafood is MSC or ASC certified. It names no fish processors or vessels and reports no independent crew checks. Birds Eye in Australia is a separate brand owned by Simplot.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Parent Nomad Foods publishes a modern slavery statement covering its UK operations (2025). View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Nomad Foods responded in October 2023 to the Outlaw Ocean Project's Uyghur forced labour findings, denying supply from two named plants. View |
Confirmed issues 1
Only confirmed problems are listed, and old ones drop off after 10 to 15 years. A problem the company has fully put right no longer counts against it, and nor does one it finds and is fixing itself. How problems are counted
| Last recorded | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Link through a supplierA 2023 Outlaw Ocean Project investigation reported by DeSmog said two European importers buying from Qingdao Tianyuan, a Chinese plant using Uyghur forced labour, supply Nomad Foods, owner of Birds Eye (DeSmog, 2023). Source · search the archive | Not knownNomad said it takes no supply from Yantai Sanko or Qingdao Tianyuan and could not investigate without evidence; no remedy reported. |
Sources and actions
Sources 10
Show all 10 sources
- Met Oeigoerse dwangarbeid gemaakte vis ligt ook in Nederlandse schappen (NU.nl, 2023) · search the archive · Importers supply Chinese fish linked to Uyghur forced labour to Nomad Foods, which makes Iglo, Findus and Birds Eye products
- Nomad Foods response to Uyghur forced labour & migrant worker abuse in seafood supply chains (BHRRC, 2023) · search the archive · Nomad says it takes no supply from Yantai Sanko or Qingdao Tianyuan and received no evidence to investigate
- Nomad Foods stakeholder page (The Outlaw Ocean Project) · Investigation lists Nomad Foods under the 'Uyghur Labor' concern, with 5 inquiries sent and 3 replies
- Seafood industry cuts ties to Chinese firms accused of using Uyghur labor (SeafoodSource, Oct 2023) · Nomad Foods (Birds Eye owner) named in the Outlaw Ocean Project report as sourcing from Chinese processors alleged to use Uyghur forced labour
- Bremerhaven: the capital of fish fingers (WFB Bremen) · search the archive · Fish fingers produced by Iglo in Bremerhaven are sold under other brands outside Germany, such as Birds Eye in the UK and Ireland
- Birds Eye 30 Breaded Cod Fish Fingers 840g (Ocado) · search the archive · Birds Eye UK cod fish fingers carry MSC certification (MSC-C-50470); Birds Eye Limited and Birds Eye Ireland named
- The Outlaw Ocean Project exposes China's use of forced Uyghur labour to supply UK seafood industry (DeSmog, 2023) · search the archive · Importers buying from Qingdao Tianyuan supply Nomad Foods, owner of Birds Eye; Nomad did not respond to requests for comment
Published by Birds Eye (UK and Ireland) or its owner
- Nomad Foods bolsters UK food supply chain with Lowestoft factory investment (Nomad Foods, 2026) · search the archive · Lowestoft factory makes Birds Eye chicken dippers, potato waffles, peas and coated fish; about 15% exported to other Nomad markets
- Nomad Foods Modern Slavery Act Statement 2025 · search the archive · 17 factories in 11 countries; wild fish from North Atlantic and Pacific, farmed fish from Vietnam; 150 supplier sites audited
- Nomad Foods Sustainability Report 2025 · search the archive · 99.9% of fish and seafood from MSC or ASC certified sources
Company details
- Owned by
- Nomad Foods
- Headquarters
- United Kingdom
- Last researched
- 23 October 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Birds Eye (UK and Ireland) ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/birds-eye-uk, last researched 23 October 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Birds Eye (UK and Ireland).