Coles own brand chocolate
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 6 sources
Coles' own-label chocolate blocks, eggs and baking chocolate.
Coles own brand chocolate was in the lowest tier of the 2024 Chocolate Scorecard, and we couldn't confirm where it gets most of its cocoa.
Also worth knowing
Most cocoa is grown in countries such as Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, where workers are very unlikely to earn a living wage.
Better-graded chocolate
Graded higher than Coles own brand chocolate, selling the same kinds of things.
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Compare Coles own brand chocolate with another brand
Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and a failing or very low rating (Chocolate Scorecard lowest tier in 2024). Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- 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 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
- 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: 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 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Failing or very low score on an independent rating: Chocolate Scorecard lowest tier (2024)
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where its cocoa is grown
We couldn't confirm where Coles own brand chocolate gets most of its cocoa, so 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.
- Modern slavery statement
- It doesn't show that it checks cocoa farms for child labour and fixes what it finds.
Research notes Coles sells chocolate blocks, seasonal eggs and baking chocolate under its own labels. The Rainforest Alliance lists Coles chocolate and cocoa products as certified, but Coles has published no policy requiring its own-brand cocoa to be certified and gives no certified share. Its FY25 modern slavery statement names Italy as a source of Easter and Christmas chocolate but does not say where its cocoa is grown. The 2024 Chocolate Scorecard rated Coles red, its lowest band, and Coles was absent from the 2025 edition.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate Scorecard | Problem found | Rated red, the lowest band, for private-label chocolate in the 2024 Chocolate Scorecard; absent from the 2025 edition. (2024 edition; latest is 2026) View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Coles Group lodges annual modern slavery statements, most recently for FY25. View |
| KnowTheChain | Listed | Coles Group scored 55/100 and ranked 2nd of 45 in the 2026 KnowTheChain Food & Beverage Benchmark; no supplier list published. View |
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Unclear | Cocoa from Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana is on the US child labour list, but the origin of Coles own-brand cocoa is not disclosed. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 6
Show all 6 sources
- Rainforest Alliance: Find certified, Coles · search the archive · Coles listed for Rainforest Alliance certified chocolate, tea and coffee; certified ingredients tea, coffee, cocoa (updated May 2026).
- KnowTheChain 2026 Food & Beverage Scorecard: Coles Group · search the archive · Scored 55/100, ranked 2nd of 45; no first-tier supplier list; limited remedy for supply chain workers.
- University of Wollongong: Annual chocolate scorecard reveals the dark side to your Easter treat · search the archive · 2024 Chocolate Scorecard rated Coles, David Jones and Kmart red; ALDI yellow; Woolworths orange. (2024 edition; latest is 2026)
- The New Daily: Sustainable Easter chocolate · search the archive · Coles, which took part in the past, was absent from the 2025 Chocolate Scorecard. (2025 edition; latest is 2026)
- eGlobal Travel Media: Coles hot cross buns · search the archive · Coles sources cocoa for its hot cross buns from Rainforest Alliance certified farms.
Published by Coles own brand chocolate or its owner
- Coles Group Modern Slavery Statement 2025 · search the archive · FY25 statement: Italy named for Easter/Christmas chocolate; no cocoa origins or certified share given.
Company details
- Owned by
- Coles Group
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Coles own brand chocolate ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/coles-own-brand-chocolate, last researched 3 November 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 Coles own brand chocolate.