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Nestle to use only sustainable cocoa in KitKat bars

By Tomas Monzon

VEVEY, Switzerland, Sept. 2 (UPI) -- Nestle said it will only use sustainable cocoa to make KitKat candy bars starting in 2016, joining a wave of food companies seeking to appeal to ecologically minded consumers.

"KitKat is the first global chocolate brand to announce that it will use only sustainably sourced cocoa to manufacture all of its products," the company said in a news release Monday.

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Nestle's announcement comes after a June 2012 partnership with the Fair Labor Association to investigate the conditions at some of the fields the company works with in West Africa. The investigation yielded a number of concerns, including child labor, forced labor, health and safety risks, discrimination, and inadequate compensation.

Now, as part of its "Nestle Cocoa Plan," the company says it will enforce stricter workplace regulations at some of its fields. For example, in Cote d'Ivoire, the company has set up a "comprehensive monitoring and remediation system" that seeks to address the child labor problem.

Nestle says it plans to source 150,000 tons of sustainably produced cocoa by 2017.

The company's chocolate productions Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Japan are already using sustainable cocoa exclusively. Nestle Europe is at 93 percent usage, while U.S. usage is at 40 percent.

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