(WTVO) — Costco and Target are stopping sales of a brand of coconut milk over allegations of forced monkey labor, according to PETA.
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said the retailers will no longer carry Chaokoh coconut milk after CNN reported the company’s Thai supplier forces monkeys to pick coconuts from trees.
USA Today reported that Target removed the product in November.
“Many kind people choose coconut milk instead of cow’s milk because they don’t want to support cruelty to animals. But a disturbing PETA Asia investigation reveals that terrified young monkeys in Thailand are kept chained, abusively trained, and forced to climb trees to pick coconuts that are used to make coconut milk, meat, flour, oil, and other products,” said PETA on its website.
PETA says 26,000 stores have dropped the product.
Chaokoh has denied the allegations and said a third party audit of its plantations found no use of monkeys to harvest coconuts.
