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In a statement on Monday, PETA said the retailer had discontinued the product after an investigation by the non-profit organization found Thai company Theppadungporn Coconut Co. had “exploited monkeys and lied about it.” Target joins Costco (COST), who dropped the milk in October.
PETA’s investigation found that the monkeys are forced to pick coconuts and perform for tourists, and that they are “tied, chained to old tires or confined in cages barely larger than their own. body”. Multiple investigations conducted by PETA Asia have revealed widespread use of monkey labor in the coconut growing industry in Thailand. Some companies have changed their practices, PETA said, but others simply hide the monkeys when auditors come to check on the animals.
Target (TGT) told CNN Business that he “takes the allegations against Chaokoh seriously, and given that they were unable to sufficiently address the concerns raised, we have made the decision to remove their product from our assortment in November 2020 ”.
Chaokoh, one of the world’s leading producers of coconut milk and other coconut products, and Theppadungporn Coconut Co., did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment. But the company told USA Today that it audited the coconut plantations using a third party and “did not find the use of monkeys for the coconut harvest.”
PETA said Target joins 26,000 stores, including Wegmans, Food Lion and Stop & Shop, which have stopped selling the milk. He is now focusing on Publix, Kroger (KR) and Albertsons who continue to sell Chaokoh products.
Publix told CNN Business that it has reviewed third-party audits of the company and that the Thai Ambassador to the United States has confirmed that the monkeys “are not used in the commercial harvest of coconuts.” .
Kroger and Albertsons did not immediately return requests for comment.
– CNN’s Lauren Padgett contributed to this report.
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