Coated
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources
Small Melbourne family business making chocolate-coated treats.
There's no proof workers earn a living wage.
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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 rightsJudged on where cocoa is usually grown: worker rights are poorly protected in Ecuador, Cameroon and Nigeria.
- 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
- Met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that listRuns its own factories
- Not met: Finds and fixes child labour on cocoa farms (Fairtrade, Fair for Life or its own published monitoring), and traces other high-risk ingredients where they're a major part of its range
Red flags 1
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Estimates for its products
Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using Coated's evidence and, where it has product lines, that line's countries. They're estimates: we don't know which factory made any single item.
- A product carrying the Fairtrade mark: Good
Holding one? Scan its barcode for an estimate that uses its care label or ingredients.
Where its cocoa is grown
Coated runs its own factories, but we haven't yet recorded where its cocoa is grown. Until we do, this shows where cocoa is usually grown.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Côte d'Ivoire | 45% | Regular violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Ghana | 25% | Strong protections | Well below a living wage | Low |
| Ecuador | 10% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Cameroon | 10% | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Nigeria | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia | 5% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: an estimated 1.5 million children work on cocoa farms in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, and most cocoa farmers earn well below a living income.
- Owns or runs its own production
- It doesn't show that it checks cocoa farms for child labour and fixes what it finds.
Research notes Coated makes its products at its own factory in Williamstown North, Melbourne, from bought-in chocolate it calls quality, Australian-made couverture. Its FAQ says all its cocoa is ethically sourced in line with Rainforest Alliance (including UTZ), and names RSPO for palm oil, but no certification mark appears on its products and it does not name its chocolate supplier or the countries its cocoa comes from. It publishes no child labour monitoring, audits or wage information. Several lines are labelled palm oil free.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Coated is not on Fairtrade ANZ's chocolate brand finder and shows no Fairtrade certification. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Not covered | No modern slavery statement was found; the business is likely below the Australian reporting threshold. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Not listed | No labour allegations involving Coated were identified. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- Davidson Branding: Coated packaging refresh · search the archive · Coated is a family-owned Melbourne chocolate business; founder Matt Grisold.
Published by Coated or its owner
- Coated Australia: About us · search the archive · Family-owned Melbourne business founded by Matt and Tara; uses quality, Australian-made chocolate; no supplier named.
- Coated Australia: FAQ · search the archive · Says all its cocoa is ethically sourced in line with Rainforest Alliance and UTZ, names RSPO for palm oil; Williamstown North factory.
- Coated Australia: Milk Chocolate Marshmallows · search the archive · Made in Melbourne by Coated Australia from local and imported ingredients; labelled palm oil free.
- Coated Australia product catalogue · search the archive · Describes its chocolate as ethically sourced couverture milk chocolate, with no certifier or origin given.
Company details
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Coated ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/coated, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
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Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Coated.