Hello Fresh suppliers called out

Animal rights group Peta is calling for a boycott of Hello Fresh amid allegations the meal kit company uses coconut milk sourced through ‘‘forced monkey labour’’.

Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) this week released details of an investigation into the use and abuse of monkeys in Thailand’s coconut milk industry.

Its report alleged monkeys were chained, whipped, beaten and forced to spend long hours picking coconuts at 57 operations across Thailand, including farms supplying milk to Hello Fresh suppliers Aroy-d and Suree.

‘‘Peta is calling on everyone – including Hello Fresh – to stop buying coconut milk sourced from Thailand until monkeys are no longer used and abused for profit,’’ Peta campaigns adviser Mimi Bekhechi said.

‘‘It is unconscionable for companies like Hello Fresh to continue to support an industry in which chained monkeys are forced to work.’’

In a statement, a spokesperson for Hello Fresh in New Zealand said the company ‘‘strictly condemns’’ any use of monkey labour in its supply chain.

‘‘We take a hard position of not procuring from suppliers or selling coconut products which have been found to use monkey labour,’’ she said.

‘‘We have written confirmation from all of our suppliers globally that they do not engage in these practices.’’

The statement did not address questions about where Hello Fresh sourced its coconut milk or how much came from Thailand.

‘‘As an industry-leading food solutions group and the world’s leading meal kit provider, we have implemented the highest standards in our supply chain and go above and beyond official regulations in our mission to guarantee the safety and sustainability of our product,’’ it said.

‘‘We select our suppliers with care, ensuring that they deliver the best quality and freshest ingredients, while adhering to the same high standards that we hold ourselves accountable to.’’

The Hello Fresh Group is based in Germany and has operations in more than a dozen countries including Australia, Canada, Luxembourg, the United States and France.