Pepero
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 30 October 2026 · 7 sources
South Korean chocolate-coated biscuit stick brand made by Lotte Wellfood.
Pepero publishes no certification, independent audit or supplier list.
Also worth knowing
Workers in Ghana are very unlikely to earn a living wage.
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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 a hidden supply chain. 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 2 of 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Met: Respects worker rights
- 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 (palm oil) where they're a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: palm oil
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain: no certification, independent audits or supplier list
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 Pepero'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: On Track
Holding one? Scan its barcode for an estimate that uses its care label or ingredients.
Where its cocoa is grown
From press and retailer reports; Pepero doesn't say where its cocoa is grown. The rest is shown as where cocoa is usually grown.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ghana | Strong protections | Well below a living wage | Low |
| Côte d'IvoireUsual for the industry | Regular violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| EcuadorUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| CameroonUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| NigeriaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
Evidence
What we found
- It doesn't show that it checks cocoa farms for child labour and fixes what it finds.
- Doesn't show where its palm oil comes from. Palm oil is linked to forced and child labour on some Malaysian and Indonesian plantations, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies it.
Research notes Pepero is made by Lotte Wellfood in South Korea (packs sold in Australia are labelled Made in South Korea), and a first overseas line opened in Haryana, India in 2025. Lotte Wellfood buys cocoa from Ghana and in 2025 began a 'Good Cacao Project' covering about 30% of its Ghanaian beans, first for its Ghana chocolate bars rather than Pepero; it describes child labour goals but no traceability, monitoring results or independent certification. Other cocoa origins, palm oil sources and supplier lists are not published, and palm oil is used in the biscuit and coating.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate Scorecard | Unclear | Lotte appears at 27 in the 2026 (7th edition) Chocolate Scorecard ranking list, after 36 in 2025; its 2026 score and tier are not shown. View |
| KnowTheChain | Not covered | Lotte is not among the companies in the 2026 KnowTheChain food and beverage benchmark. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 7
Show all 7 sources
- Chocolate Scorecard · search the archive · Lotte listed at 27 in the 7th edition (2026) ranking evolution, 36 in the 6th edition
- 2026 KnowTheChain food and beverage benchmark (Business & Human Rights Resource Centre) · search the archive · Lotte is not among the benchmarked companies
- Lotte Pepero Chocolate Original Stick & Biscuit 47g (Woolworths) · search the archive · Sold at Woolworths Australia; Made in South Korea; ingredients include cocoa mass and palm oil shortening
- Lotte Wellfood completes construction of 1st overseas Pepero production line in India (Korea Times, 2025) · search the archive · Lotte Wellfood makes Pepero; first overseas line at Lotte India's Haryana plant; sold in 57 countries
- Sustainable Ghanaian cocoa beans introduced (CEO Score Daily, April 2025) · search the archive · Lotte Wellfood's Good Cacao Project covers about 30% of the Ghanaian cocoa it uses yearly, starting with Ghana chocolate bars; goals include ending child labour
- Lotte chief vows sustainable cacao sourcing in Ghana (Korea Herald via Daum, 2024) · search the archive · Lotte's Korean and Japanese units plan joint buying and child labour monitoring in Ghana; seedlings donated to Ghana Cocoa Board
- Chocolate Scorecard reveals gaps in cocoa transparency (Food Processing, May 2026) · search the archive · 7th edition Chocolate Scorecard released 7 May 2026, assessing 49 companies
Company details
- Headquarters
- South Korea
- Last researched
- 30 October 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Pepero ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/pepero, last researched 30 October 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
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Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Pepero.