Peta accuses Hellofresh of monkey forced labor

Among other things, the Berlin-based food supplier is said to buy coconut milk from suppliers who have chained monkeys pick the fruit.

An investigation by the animal welfare organization Peta has led to serious accusations against the Berlin-based food supplier Hellofresh. The start-up is said to use coconut milk obtained through the forced labor of monkeys. The animals are said to be forced to harvest the fruit in Thailand. They are chained, whipped and beaten in the process, as Peta claims to prove with photos and video footage. Peta is therefore calling on Hellofresh, among others, to end its cooperation with these suppliers.

Peta found 57 companies in Thailand that harvest coconuts in this way. The animal welfare organization is therefore calling on all companies and consumers not to buy coconut milk from the country.

To CBS News a Hellofresh company spokesperson condemns the forced labor and rejects the allegations. "We have signed certifications from all of our partners - in the US and around the world - that they do not harvest coconuts in this way," he told the station.