Melitta
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
Family-owned German company selling coffee and coffee filters.
Melitta can't show that the people who grow its coffee in Colombia and Honduras earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Also worth knowing
It has no full independent audit.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 1 of 5 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and unaudited production in high-risk countries. 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 5
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsSome of its coffee is grown in countries such as Colombia and Honduras, 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
- 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
Red flags 2
- 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
| Star | Awarded for |
|---|---|
| Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities |
Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Estimates for its products
Our rules applied to one kind of product at a time, using Melitta'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 coffee is grown
Melitta names some of the countries its coffee comes from: Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Mexico, Peru, Zambia and Tanzania. The rest is shown as where coffee is usually grown.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazil | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Colombia | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Honduras | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Guatemala | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Peru | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| EthiopiaUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| UgandaUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| India | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| Mexico | Regular violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Zambia | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Tanzania | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: coffee is on the US Department of Labor child or forced labour list for over a dozen countries, and farm-gate prices often fall below a living income.
- Invests in worker and farming communities
- Modern slavery statement
Research notes Melitta buys raw coffee from almost all growing regions but publishes no country shares or supplier list; its projects name Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Mexico, Peru, Zambia and Tanzania. Only 10% of its raw coffee was bought with sustainability certifications in 2024, down from 13% in 2023 and 22% in 2022. Its UK modern slavery statement for 2025 describes a risk self-assessment, a whistleblower system and the coffee sector's Ear4U grievance mechanism, but reports no findings, audit results, wage data or living income work.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Unclear | BHRRC holds a Melitta response on EU deforestation rules; no labour abuse allegations naming Melitta are listed. View |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Unclear | Melitta lists Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance and organic among its labels, but only 10% of its raw coffee was bought certified in 2024. View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Publishes a UK modern slavery statement covering the group's 2025 financial year; it reports no cases or audit results. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Melitta Group - Shop Ethical (ethical.org.au) · search the archive · Rated D by Shop Ethical (2026), citing a 15.6% Forest 500 score; family-owned, Minden
- Melitta response to CSO calls on EUDR - BHRRC · search the archive · BHRRC record for Melitta concerns deforestation rules, not labour abuse
- Melitta Paper Filters 1x4 - Di Pacci · search the archive · Melitta filter papers sold by an Australian retailer with five showrooms
Published by Melitta or its owner
- We create the future of coffee - Melitta Group Annual Report 2023 · search the archive · 22% certified raw coffee in 2022; 171,000 t bought; project countries named; no country shares; 2030 target; coffee whistleblower system
- Melitta Group Sustainability Update 2024 · search the archive · 10% of raw coffee certified in 2024 (13% 2023, 22% 2022); 188,000 t bought; 6,070 employees; Brazil and Tanzania projects
- Melitta Group Modern Slavery Statement 2025 · search the archive · UK Modern Slavery Act statement for 2025: risk self-assessment, whistleblower system, Ear4U; no cases or audit results reported
- Melitta Group preliminary figures 2025 · search the archive · EUR 2.53 billion revenue in 2025; divisions: coffee, filter paper, household and professional machines
Company details
- Headquarters
- Germany
- Employees
- About 6,070
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Melitta ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/melitta, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded beans and roasters
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Melitta.