Ingredients used in the creation of Haribo confectionery products have been linked to human rights violations and animal cruelty according to an investigative report.
Last month, German broadcaster ARD aired a documentary claiming the carnauba wax used by the gummy bear maker has been linked to plantations in Brazil that used child labour and violated workers' human rights, and that pigs raised by another of the company's ingredient suppliers were subjected to cruelty.
The German confectionery company has claimed it was unaware of suppliers violating its guidelines, but has said it would pursue the issue.
Closer to home, in what's been dubbed Australia's “modern slavery” market, some workers on the Government's Seasonal Workers Program in Queensland are being forced to work in terrible conditions through exploitation by labour-hire contractors, according to ABC Online.
Three Tongan workers have died from overwork, lack of food and medical care in the past 12 months, a parliamentary inquiry that is looking at establishing a Modern Slavery Act has heard, and others are being forced to live and work gruelling hours in pitiful conditions on the Federal Government-backed program.
