KitKat is set to become the first global chocolate brand to use only sustainably sourced cocoa in the manufacture of all its products. This move comes as the confectionery industry faces allegations over employing child labor in cocoa fields of Ivory Coast, which supply the raw material.
By the first quarter of 2016, the Switzerland-based company intends to manufacture all KitKat bars with cocoa accredited by independent third parties. This move includes the US, where the bars are currently manufactured by Hershey Co under license, reported Bloomberg.
The industry came under fire when random visits by authorities to 200 farms in the Ivory Coast found four children under 15 working in cocoa fields that supply the raw material to Nestle, according to a report by the Fair Labor Association.
Nestle has agreed to be monitored by the Washington-based non-profit organization since 2012 to ban such practices, reported Bloomberg.
Nestlé head of confectionery Sandra Martinez said: "We're delighted to be a flag bearer for the industry, as the first global chocolate brand to announce such a move.
"Sustainable cocoa sourcing helps safeguard the livelihoods of farming communities and delivers higher quality cocoa beans. This announcement will only strengthen consumer trust in KitKat as a responsible brand."
Nestle, which owns Kitkat brand, plans to annually source 150,000 tons of sustainably produced cocoa by 2017.
