Gorton's
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 23 October 2026 · 8 sources
US frozen fish sticks, fillets and shrimp brand owned by Japan's Nissui.
There's no proof Gorton's pays more than the legal minimum, which in the United States is below a living wage.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 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 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 its products are made: worker rights are poorly protected in the United States, Thailand and China.
- 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 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
Where it's made
Gorton's names some of the countries it makes in: the United States. The rest is shown as where fish and seafood are usually processed.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Low |
| 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 |
| 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
- 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 Gorton's makes most of its range at its own plant in Gloucester, Massachusetts, and a new plant in Lebanon, Indiana (opened September 2025); co-manufacturers make the rest and are not named. Over 99% of its wild fish (mainly Alaska pollock and other whitefish) is MSC certified and all farmed seafood is BAP 4-star, but its fish is first filleted and frozen at undisclosed plants, its boats are not named, and it reports no independent checks of crews. It asks suppliers to sign human rights standards and set up a labour audit framework in 2025 without publishing results. A 2023 Uyghur labour link at parent Nissui involved its French unit Cité Marine, not Gorton's.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| News reporting and NGO investigations | Listed | Parent Nissui ranked 16th of 30 in the World Benchmarking Alliance's 2023 Seafood Stewardship Index, scoring 23.9/100 and 8.2/40 on social responsibility (group rating). View |
| KnowTheChain | Not covered | Neither Gorton's nor Nissui is among the companies in the 2026 KnowTheChain food and beverage benchmark. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 8
Show all 8 sources
- How Uyghur forced labor makes seafood that ends up in school lunches (Politico / Outlaw Ocean Project, 2023) · search the archive · Investigation of Chinese plants using Uyghur labour names US buyers; Gorton's is not among them
- 2023 Seafood Stewardship Index rankings (World Benchmarking Alliance) · search the archive · Nissui 16th of 30, 23.9/100, social responsibility 8.2/40
- 2026 KnowTheChain food and beverage benchmark (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre) · search the archive · Neither Gorton's nor Nissui among the companies assessed
- Nissui cuts ribbon on USD 90 million Gorton's facility in Indiana (SeafoodSource, 2025) · search the archive · Lebanon, Indiana plant began operating in September 2025; Gloucester remains the primary production site
Published by Gorton's or its owner
- Responsibility (Gorton's) · search the archive · The Gloucester, MA Seafood Center still produces the majority of Gorton's products; over 99% of seafood MSC or BAP certified
- Gorton's Seafood 2025 Corporate Social Responsibility Report · search the archive · >99% of wild seafood MSC (2025); all aquaculture BAP 4-star; Lebanon, IN plant; labour audit framework set up 2025; Canadian labelling met (US and Canada markets, none in Australia)
- Gorton's FY25 (2024) Sustainability Report · search the archive · >99% wild-caught MSC; 100% aquaculture BAP 4-star; Ecuador Titi shrimp FIP; Alaska pollock suppliers; McDonald's social workplace audit completed
- Gorton's FY23 Sustainability Report · search the archive · Suppliers, contractors and co-manufacturers must sign Gorton's Workplace Supplier Standards Policy covering human rights
Company details
- Headquarters
- United States
- Last researched
- 23 October 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Gorton's ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/gortons, last researched 23 October 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Other frozen fish and seafood brands
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