Ülker
Lacks transparency. Publishes some details, but doesn't show its workers are paid and treated fairly.
Last researched 23 October 2026 · 3 sources
Turkish chocolate, wafer and biscuit brand owned by Yıldız Holding's pladis.
Ülker publishes no certification, independent audit or supplier list.
Also worth knowing
Workers in Côte d'Ivoire are very unlikely to earn a living wage.
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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 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 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, Cameroon 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 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 where they're a major part of its range
Red flags 2
- Red flag: No evidence it pays a living wage
- Red flag: Hidden supply chain: no certification, independent audits or supplier list
| 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 Ülker'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 cocoa is grown
These are its parent group's cocoa origins across all its brands; Ülker doesn't say where its own cocoa is grown. The rest is shown as where cocoa is usually grown.
| Country | Worker rights | Legal minimum wage | Forced labour risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Côte d'Ivoire | Regular violations | Far below a living wage | Moderate |
| GhanaUsual for the industry | Strong protections | Well below a living wage | Low |
| 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
- Risk across the industry, not a finding about this company: an estimated 1.5 million children work on cocoa farms in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana, and most cocoa farmers earn well below a living income.
- Invests in worker and farming communities
- It doesn't show that it checks cocoa farms for child labour and fixes what it finds.
Research notes Ülker is one of Turkey's biggest confectionery brands and part of pladis, the Yıldız Holding company that also owns McVitie's and Godiva. pladis does not publish where Ülker's cocoa is grown or which suppliers it buys from; its work with Earthworm Foundation covers cocoa supply chain mapping and monitoring and savings groups for over 900 women in Soubré, Côte d'Ivoire. It is a World Cocoa Foundation member, but no certified share, child labour monitoring data or living income measures are published for Ülker.
What independent sources say
| Source | Result | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Chocolate Scorecard | Listed | Parent pladis scored 44% (orange: significantly more work needed) in the 2026 Chocolate Scorecard. View |
Sources and actions
Sources 3
Show all 3 sources
- pladis (Ethical Consumers Australia) · search the archive · pladis, formed 2016 from United Biscuits, Ülker and Godiva, owned by Yıldız Holding; 2026 Chocolate Scorecard 44% (orange); World Cocoa Foundation member
- The 7th Ed Chocolate Scorecard is coming (Chocolate Scorecard, 2026) · search the archive · Pladis Foods (including Godiva) invited to the 7th edition (2026) Chocolate Scorecard
- pladis (Earthworm Foundation members) · search the archive · pladis owns McVitie's, Ülker and GODIVA; cocoa supply chain mapping and monitoring with Earthworm; savings groups for over 900 women in Soubré, Côte d'Ivoire
Company details
- Owned by
- pladis (Yıldız Holding, Turkey)
- Headquarters
- Türkiye
- Last researched
- 23 October 2026
- Cite this page
- Labour Lens, "Is Ülker ethical? Labour rating", https://www.labourlens.net/brand/ulker, 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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Grades are opinions based on the evidence listed here. Send us evidence, or a right of reply if you represent Ülker.