Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
Nestlé's chocolate malt powder drink, made in NSW.
Unsafe working conditions were documented in Milo's supply chain in 2012, which it has only partly put right.
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Why it's graded Lacks transparency
- Not met: Meets 2 of 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and clear breaches of labour conditions. Two or more red flags means a poor grade.
- It isn't Harm on record: the most serious problem on its record (child labour, last recorded in 2024) was found by its own checks and is being fixed.
- 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.
- Checks its own supply chain. Milo looks for problems in its own supply chain and publishes what it finds. It found child labour in 2024 and is fixing it, so it doesn't count against the grade. Another problem on its record counts against the grade: unsafe conditions in 2012. They're listed below under Confirmed issues.
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 rightsA confirmed problem counts against it: unsafe conditions, last recorded in 2012
- 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 it isn't fixingIts own checks found child labour, which it is fixing. That's listed below and doesn't count against the grade. An unconfirmed report of forced and child labour is listed below. It doesn't affect the grade.
- Not met: Names the factories or farms that make its products, or is fully certified by a scheme that holds and audits that list
- 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: Clear breaches of labour conditions
| Star | Awarded for |
|---|---|
| Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities |
Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where its cocoa is grown
Côte d'Ivoire has the largest share, 47%. Ecuador is next, at 15%.
| Country | Share | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Côte d'Ivoire | 47% | Regular violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Ecuador | 15% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Brazil | 14% | Systematic violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| Nigeria | 7% | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Ghana | 5% | Strong protections | Well below a living wage | Low |
| Cameroon | 5% | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| Indonesia | 4% | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Dominican Republic | 2% | Strong protections | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Venezuela | 1% | No guarantee of rights | Not rated | High |
| Peru | under 1% | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Mexico | under 1% | Regular violations | Below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- Passes the raw-material check for chocolate: finds and fixes child labour on cocoa farms (Fairtrade, Fair for Life or its own published monitoring).
- Reports child labour cases found and fixed
- Invests in worker and farming communities
- Modern slavery statement
Research notes Milo sold in Australia and New Zealand is made at Nestlé's Smithtown factory in NSW, and its cocoa has been certified since 2016 (UTZ, now Rainforest Alliance), about 4,000 tonnes a year. Milo sold in Asia and elsewhere is made locally by other Nestlé companies and is not covered here. Origin shares are Nestlé-wide 2024 Cocoa Plan figures (88.9% via the Plan, 96,580 children supported), not brand-specific, not Milo-specific. The Income Accelerator pays families up to CHF 500 a year, but there is no evidence farmers earn a living income. Australian Milo lists no palm oil.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate Scorecard | Listed | Nestlé ranked 6th of 34 medium and large manufacturers in the 2026 (7th edition) Chocolate Scorecard; it scored 70% in 2025, just below the top tier. View |
| KnowTheChain | Listed | Nestlé scored 26/100 and ranked 9th of 45 in the 2026 KnowTheChain food and beverage benchmark. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Nestlé Australia lodges annual modern slavery statements. View |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Australian Milo uses Rainforest Alliance certified cocoa (UTZ since 2016) rather than Fairtrade. View |
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Listed | Cocoa from Côte d'Ivoire is listed for child and forced labour and cocoa from Ghana for child labour. View |
| Business & Human Rights Resource Centre | Listed | Tracks child labour allegations and lawsuits over Nestlé's cocoa supply chain, along with Nestlé's responses. View |
Confirmed issues 2
Only confirmed problems are listed, and old ones drop off after 10 to 15 years. A problem the company has fully put right no longer counts against it, and nor does one it finds and is fixing itself. How problems are counted
| Last recorded | What happened | Made amends? |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Nestlé's own reports identified 18,283 children in hazardous work on farms supplying its cocoa in 2017/18, and its 2024 Cocoa Plan report still records children needing remediation, with 96,580 supported that year. Source · search the archiveFound and being fixed by the company Not counted against the grade while the company is actively fixing it, because it found and published it itself. | PartlyRuns child labour monitoring and remediation; 26,857 children reported out of hazardous work since 2012, but cases are still found each year. |
| 2012 | A Fair Labor Association investigation of Nestlé's Côte d'Ivoire cocoa supply chain (2012) found child labour, widespread machete injuries and workers exceeding 60-hour weeks at harvest. Source · search the archive | PartlyPublished an action plan with the Fair Labor Association in 2012. |
Unconfirmed reports
Credible reports that haven't been confirmed by a regulator, completed investigation or the company. They're shown for your information and don't affect the grade.
- Six Malian men alleged they were trafficked as children to work on Ivorian cocoa farms and sued Nestlé USA and Cargill; in 2021 the US Supreme Court overturned the appeals ruling that let it go ahead, finding too little conduct in the US, and sent it back without ruling on the facts. Source
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- FLA investigation of Nestlé's cocoa supply chain (Fair Labor Association, 2012) · search the archive · 2012 FLA investigation found child labour, machete injuries and excessive hours
- 2026 KnowTheChain Food & Beverage scorecard: Nestlé · search the archive · Nestlé scored 26/100, 9th of 45, in the 2026 KnowTheChain food and beverage benchmark
- Nestlé identifies over 18,000 child labourers in cocoa supply chain (Swissinfo) · search the archive · Nestlé's own report identified 18,283 children in child labour in 2017/18
- Nestle Milo Tin 1.9kg (Officeworks) · search the archive · Milo sold at Officeworks stores in Australia for $39
Published by Milo or its owner
- Milo now made with sustainable cocoa (Nestlé Australia, 2016) · search the archive · Milo made at Smithtown, NSW; cocoa UTZ Certified from 2016, nearly 4,000 tonnes a year for Australia and New Zealand
- NESTLÉ MILO Tin 460g x 12 (Nestlé Professional) · search the archive · Made in Australia from local and imported ingredients; Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa; milk powder, malt barley, sugar, cocoa
- Nestlé Cocoa Plan Progress Report 2024 · search the archive · 2024 origins: CI 47%, EC 15%, BR 14%, NG 7%, GH 5%, CM 5%, ID 4%, DO 2%; 88.9% via Cocoa Plan; 96,580 children supported
Company details
- Owned by
- Nestlé S.A.
- Headquarters
- Switzerland
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Milo ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/milo, 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 Milo.