Whole Foods said, "we are confident that Thai Union shrimp supplied to Whole Foods Market did not come from an illicit processing facility, nor do we purchase any shrimp from peeling shed facilities." retail giant is working with non-government organizations, private-sector firm suppliers and government to find solutions to abusive labor conditions. "We are aware of the Associated Press story, and we were horrified by the conditions and treatment of workers the reporters uncovered," McInnis said in a statement. Walmart spokeswoman Marilee McInnis said the U.S. and Thailand "who are helping lead the seafood community to ensure the industry and government of Thailand act to address this issue." Olive Garden said it is working with industry organizations in the U.S. In a statement, Red Lobster said, "we are working very closely with our suppliers and industry partners to take actions that will reduce and eliminate the human rights and labor abuses that have historically occurred in our industry." Red Lobster and Olive Garden said they had investigated the AP's findings and received assurances from Thai Union Group, a Thailand-based seafood supply giant, that they did not receive seafood from abusive pre-processing facilities. firms said their supply chains had not been tainted. Shrimp brands and companies liked to slavery-tainted supply chains included Chicken of the Sea, Winn-Dixie, Publix, and others, the report said.īusinesses that responded to AP questions condemned the labor practices used to process the exported shrimp, and many said they would investigate their suppliers, the report said. In all, AP reporters found related seafood brands in more than 150 stores across the U.S. dining chains Red Lobster and Olive Garden. customs records and Thai seafood industry reports, the AP found the farmed shrimp entered the supply chains of major food stores and retailers Walmart, Whole Foods, Target, and others.Īccording to the report, the shrimp also entered the supply chains of popular U.S. Parents and children worked together, peeling farmed shrimp in a warehouse that had overflowing toilets and the stench of sewage, AP reporters found. The peelers often work 16-hour days for little or no pay, as company monitors watch to prevent them from escaping, the report said.ĪP journalists filmed trucks that carried freshly processed shrimp from one peeling shed to top Thai exporting firms. One factory there had dozens of enslaved workers inside, and runaway migrants showed rights groups other facilities, the report said. Shrimp-peeling sheds, some with no signs, can be found in Samut Sakhon, a Gulf of Thailand port town south of Bangkok, the AP reported. The slavery persists despite repeated vows by Thai businesses and government to clean up the Asian nation's $7 billion seafood exporting business, the Associated Press reported Monday. food stores, retailers and restaurants such as Walmart, Whole Foods, and Red Lobster, according to a new report. Watch Video: AP: Supermarkets selling shrimp peeled by slavesĮnslaved migrant workers, including children, are peeling shrimp that's exported from Thailand to the supply chains of major U.S.
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