Ferrero Rocher

Does Ferrero Rocher make ethical and sustainable chocolate? 

Ferrero Rocher is a Nestlé chocolate brand that is listed in The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Chocolate Ratings Table. Although Ferrero has not yet met our ethical principles, we anticipate that the brand will improve in the future. A brand must comply with a number of different qualities in order for us to award Ethical Accreditation.

But there is still a lot of space for ethical/ ESG/ CSR development. For instance, Ferrero Rocher does not currently offer any chocolate products that are Fairtrade. Consumers are more aware than ever of the advantages of using ingredients that have been ethically obtained. Purchasing Fairtrade goods ensures that a fair salary is paid to all those involved in the production process, from start to finish. Like many other Nestlé-owned brands, Ferrero does not provide goods that are Fairtrade.

We would have extra confidence in this brand if it submitted itself to apply for Ethical Accreditation, whereby The Good Shopping Guide would be able to make a further detailed assessment and provide recommendations for ethical improvement. We acknowledge that there is a lot of room for improvement by this brand, but we are confident that this brand can become Ethically Accredited in the future. Find out more about the ethical issues faced by the Chocolate sector and see how other brands score in our Ethical Chocolate Ratings Table.

What does Ferrero Rocher do and what is its history?

The company was founded in 1946 by Michele Ferrero and is currently run by his son, Giovanni Ferrero. Ferrero Rocher chocolates are made with a hazelnut centre and are coated in cocoa and hazelnut pieces. The chocolate is then wrapped in gold foil. Ferrero Rocher does not currently have any gluten-free products.

For which criteria does Ferrero Rocher perform poorly? 

Ferrero still has lots of ethical issues to address. These issues are the availability of Organic products, Public Record Criticisms, and Fairtrade product availability.

In 2019, Nestlé declared that because it could only track 49% of its acquisitions back to the farm level, it couldn’t ensure that its chocolate products were free from child slave labour. The Washington Post reported that the pledge made in 2001 to end such abuses in 4 years had not been kept and that it was unlikely that future goals will be reached either. The pledge was not met by the original date of 2005, nor by the revised deadlines of 2008 or 2010.

In what areas does Ferrero Rocher score well for its ethics?

Ferrero does score above our benchmark in imperative categories such as having Vegetarian and Vegan options, an Environmental Report, and no public instances of investment in Nuclear power.

Are you associated with an ethical and sustainable chocolate brand?

Why not find out more about Ethical Accreditation and what The Good Shopping Guide could do for your business or product? Fill out our initial assessment form or get in touch.