Saupiquet
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 23 October 2026 · 11 sources
French canned tuna, mackerel and sardine brand owned by Bolton Group.
Saupiquet can't show that the workers who make its products in Ecuador and Morocco 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 6 Good requirements.
- Holds the grade back: It has 2 red flags: no evidence of a living wage and a hidden, unaudited supply chain 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 6
- Not met: Pays a living wage, or holds a strong fair-pay certificationLiving wage: no evidence
- Not met: Respects worker rightsSome of its products are made in countries such as Ecuador and Thailand, 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
- Not met: Traces its catch to the boat or farm and has crews' or farm workers' conditions checked independently
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain, partly in countries with poor worker rights
Stars it would earn as Good
None yet. Stars only show on Good companies. About stars
Where it's made
Its parent group's figures name Côte d'Ivoire and Ecuador. Product labels show Spain. Press and retailer reports name Morocco. The rest is shown as where fish and seafood are usually processed.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ecuador | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| Spain | Strong protections | Close to a living wage | Low |
| Morocco | Regular violations | Well below a living wage | Low |
| Côte d'Ivoire | Regular violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| ThailandUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| ChinaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Below a living wage | Moderate |
| VietnamUsual for the industry | Systematic violations | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndonesiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | Moderate |
| IndiaUsual for the industry | No guarantee of rights | Well below a living wage | High |
| AustraliaUsual for the industry | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
| NorwayUsual for the industry | Strong protections | About a living wage | Low |
Evidence
What we found
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: fishing fleets and processing plants have some of the worst documented forced labour, including trafficked crews held at sea for years.
- Traces most of its fish and seafood to named fishing boats or farms
- It traces some of its catch or holds environmental labels such as MSC, ASC or BAP, but doesn't show both that its catch is traced to the boat or farm and that crews' or farm workers' conditions are checked independently.
Research notes Saupiquet closed its last French cannery, in Quimper, in December 2024 and moved that production to Spain and Morocco; retail listings give Spain as the country of manufacture for its tuna and mackerel. Bolton has said Saupiquet tuna is canned by suppliers in Ivory Coast, Spain and Ecuador. Bolton publishes a list of the vessels it buys tuna from and lets shoppers look up the boat for each can, but a 2021 Greenpeace review found its supplier Tri Marine could not show its boats met Bolton's human rights policy, and no independent crew checks are reported. Only part of the range is MSC certified.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| News reporting and NGO investigations | Listed | Parent Bolton Group ranked 7th of 30 in the World Benchmarking Alliance's 2023 Seafood Stewardship Index, scoring 40.1/100 and 11.0/40 on social responsibility. View |
| KnowTheChain | Not covered | Bolton Group is not among the companies assessed in the 2026 KnowTheChain food and beverage benchmark. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 11
Show all 11 sources
- Bolton Food first year assessment shows stronger efforts needed (Greenpeace, 2021) · search the archive · Tri Marine could not show its vessels comply with Bolton's standards; progress on human rights remains to be seen
- 2023 Seafood Stewardship Index rankings (World Benchmarking Alliance) · search the archive · Bolton Group 7th, 40.1/100, social responsibility 11.0/40
- 2026 KnowTheChain food and beverage benchmark · search the archive · Bolton and Nissui not among companies assessed
- Saupiquet : adieu la France, bonjour le Maroc ? (Bladi, December 2024) · search the archive · Quimper plant, the brand's last French cannery, closed 20 December 2024 with 150 jobs affected; production moved to Spain and Morocco
- Saupiquet délocalise sa production de Quimper vers l'Espagne et le Maroc (Breizh-info, 2024) · search the archive · 155 Quimper employees; production moved to Spain and Morocco from 2025
- Saupiquet thon entier nature MSC (Auchan) · search the archive · Saupiquet MSC skipjack tuna; country of manufacture Spain; Indian Ocean and western central Pacific
- Saupiquet filets de maquereau blanc à la moutarde (Auchan) · search the archive · Saupiquet mackerel fillets; country of manufacture Spain; no MSC label
- Bolton Food CSR report · search the archive · Saupiquet tuna made by strategic suppliers in Ivory Coast, Spain and Ecuador; vessel per can available on Saupiquet website; Quimper made mackerel and sardines
- Our sustainable development strategy, Bolton (MSC meeting, 2025) · search the archive · Bolton publishes a public list of all vessels it sources from; 93.7% MSC or FIP sourcing in 2023
- Bolton Food and Oxfam Partnership Report 2020-2024 · search the archive · Bolton plants in Manta (Ecuador), Agadir (Morocco) and Barranquilla (Colombia) assessed; Colombia plant about 85% agency workers; vessel code of conduct; no RFVS
- Tuna yearbook: French market analysis 2025 (MSC) · search the archive · Saupiquet named among brands committed to MSC tuna in France; no full-range MSC claim for Saupiquet
Company details
- Headquarters
- France
- Last researched
- 23 October 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Saupiquet ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/saupiquet, last researched 23 October 2026, accessed [date].
- Method
- Researched with AI assistance against published rules. How we check · What Lacks transparency means
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