Max Brenner
Lacks transparency. Shows little about where or how its products are made.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 5 sources
Sydney company running chocolate cafés.
We couldn't find where Max Brenner gets most of its cocoa, a certification covering its range or a list of its suppliers.
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.
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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 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 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 Max Brenner'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
We couldn't confirm where Max Brenner 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. Source
- It doesn't show that it checks cocoa farms for child labour and fixes what it finds.
Research notes Max Brenner Australia publishes no information on where its cocoa is grown, any certification, or how it checks labour conditions; its website, chocolate shop and FAQ make no ethical sourcing claims. A 2019 report said Swiss supplier Barry Callebaut makes its products in Singapore. Cocoa origin countries are therefore unknown, and use of hazelnuts or palm oil is not disclosed.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Baptist World Aid Ethical Fashion Report | Not covered | Baptist World Aid does not rate chocolate companies in its Ethical Fashion or Electronics reports. View |
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Listed | Cocoa from Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, the main cocoa sources for the chocolate industry, is on the US list of goods made with child and forced labour; Max Brenner does not name its cocoa origins. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 5
Show all 5 sources
- US DOL List of Goods Produced by Child Labor or Forced Labor · search the archive · Cocoa from Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana listed for child labour
- New Max Brenner owner plots rapid chocolate store expansion (realcommercial.com.au, 2019) · search the archive · Vitocco and Mustaca bought business; Barry Callebaut makes its products in Singapore
Published by Max Brenner or its owner
- About Max Brenner Australia · search the archive · 100% Australian-owned family business; 12 chocolate cafés; no sourcing or certification information
- Max Brenner Australia FAQ · search the archive · Asia Pacific business acquired by Australian private company; no sourcing, origin or ingredient details
- Our Chocolate (Max Brenner Australia) · search the archive · Chocolate products listed with no cocoa origin, maker, certification or ingredient sourcing details
Company details
- Owned by
- Privately owned by Australian investors (Arnold Vitocco and Roy Mustaca bought it in 2018)
- Headquarters
- Australia
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Max Brenner ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/max-brenner, 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 Max Brenner.