Perugina
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 3 November 2026 · 7 sources
Nestlé-owned Italian maker of Baci hazelnut chocolates.
Perugina can't show that the people who grow its cocoa in Côte d'Ivoire and Ecuador earn a living wage, which workers there are very unlikely to.
Know something we've missed? Send evidence. Represent Perugina? Send a right of reply.
Compare Perugina with another brand
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: the most serious problem on its record (child labour, last recorded in 2023) 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. Perugina looks for problems in its own supply chain and publishes what it finds. It found child labour in 2023 and is fixing it, so it doesn't count against the grade. An independent scheme it belongs to also found child labour in 2017, which it's fixing. They're listed below under Confirmed issues.
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 cocoa is grown: worker rights are poorly protected in Ecuador, Brazil 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 it isn't fixingIts own checks and an independent scheme it belongs to found child labour, which Perugina 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
- 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 (hazelnuts) where they're a major part of its rangeNot traced or certified: hazelnuts
Red flags 1
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
| 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 Perugina'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
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
- Reports child labour cases found and fixed
- Invests in worker and farming communities
- Modern slavery statement
- Doesn't show where its hazelnuts come from. Hazelnuts are linked to child labour and very low pay on Turkish hazelnut farms, so it can't be graded Good until it traces or certifies them.
Research notes Baci are made in Perugia, Italy, with Rainforest Alliance certified cocoa under the Nestlé Cocoa Plan; the cocoa origins shown are Nestlé's group-wide 2024 sourcing, not Perugina-specific. Hazelnuts make up about 26% of Baci; Nestlé's hazelnuts come mostly from Turkey's Black Sea region, but Perugina does not say where its own hazelnuts come from. Nestlé monitors child labour in cocoa and hazelnuts, but there is no evidence cocoa farmers or hazelnut pickers earn a living income.
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 (9th of 45) in the 2026 KnowTheChain food and beverage benchmark, down 10 points from 2023, with no remedy for supply chain workers disclosed. View |
| Australian Modern Slavery Register | Listed | Nestlé Australia lodges annual modern slavery statements. View |
| UK Modern Slavery Statement Registry | Listed | Nestlé UK lodges a modern slavery statement (2026). View |
| US Department of Labor goods lists | Listed | Cocoa from Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, Nestlé's main West African origins, is on the US list of goods made with child or forced labour. View |
| Fairtrade (incl. FLOCERT and Fairtrade ANZ) | Not listed | Baci Perugina carries Rainforest Alliance cocoa certification, not Fairtrade. 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? |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Nestlé's own child labour report (2019) identified 18,283 children doing hazardous work on farms supplying its cocoa in 2017/18, and its 2023 Cocoa Plan report still records child labour cases found each 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 through the Nestlé Cocoa Plan; cases are still found each year. |
| 2017 | Fair Labor Association assessments of Nestlé's Turkish hazelnut supply chain found children under 15 working on farms, pay below the legal minimum and excessive hours (2013), and 193 seasonal child workers in 2017. Source · search the archiveFound by a scheme it belongs to, being fixed Not counted against the grade while the company is actively fixing it, because an independent scheme it chose to join found it. | PartlyMapped its Turkish hazelnut farms, set up child labour monitoring and remediation with suppliers; Nestlé left the FLA in April 2025. |
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 assessment of Nestlé hazelnut supply chain in Turkey (2013) · search the archive · 20% of workers interviewed were under 15; pay below minimum after deductions; hours over legal limits; Nestlé action plan
- Nestlé identifies over 18,000 child labourers in cocoa supply chain (Swissinfo) · search the archive · Nestlé's own report found 18,283 children in child labour in 2017/18
- Baci Perugina Mini Easter Eggs (Panetta Mercato) · search the archive · Baci Perugina sold by Sydney grocer Panetta Mercato, which has six stores
Published by Perugina or its owner
- Baci Perugina - Environmental sustainability · search the archive · Baci are Rainforest Alliance certified and follow the Nestlé Cocoa Plan; made at the San Sisto plant
- 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; CLMRS 123,953 households
- Nestlé Central and West Africa - Hazelnuts · search the archive · Hazelnuts mainly from Turkey's Black Sea region; 88% traceable in 2017; FLA found 193 seasonal child workers in 2017
- Baci Perugina: Original Dark · search the archive · Hazelnuts 26%; no palm oil in ingredients; cocoa mass and butter Rainforest Alliance certified
Company details
- Owned by
- Nestlé S.A.
- Headquarters
- Italy
- Last researched
- 3 November 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Perugina ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/perugina, last researched 3 November 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
Better-graded chocolate
Tony's ChocolonelyChocolate & cocoaFairtrade chocolate barsHolds Fairtrade certification and publishes its suppliers.GoodGoes Above and Beyond: Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities3 starsAlter EcoChocolate & cocoaOrganic fair trade chocolateHolds Fair for Life certification.GoodGoes Above and Beyond: Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities3 starsMoser RothChocolate & cocoaPremium chocolate blocks sold at ALDIHolds SA8000 certification.GoodGoes Above and Beyond: Finds and fixes problems, or invests in communities3 stars
Something missing or wrong?
Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Perugina.