CHICAGO (CBS) — An Illinois meal kit factory owned by HelloFresh is under investigation over allegations of child labor.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division has an open investigation at a HelloFresh factory in Aurora. The investigation also involves the employment agency Midway Staffing LLC.
HelloFresh is a popular subscription meal kit service based in Berlin, Germany.
HelloFresh released the following statement on Tuesday in response to the allegations:
“We were deeply disturbed to learn of the allegations made against a former employment agency, Midway Staffing. As soon as we learned of these allegations, we immediately ended the relationship. We have strict protocols in place to ensure all suppliers follow our robust global guidelines. Ethics and Compliance Policy We do not tolerate any form of child labor and we have taken action to ensure that no minors work in or have access to our facilities.”
A spokesperson for HelloFrsh added that Midway Staffing “only provided services in a Factor facility, not in HelloFresh.” The spokesperson claims that HelloFresh and Factor did not directly hire or employ the alleged underage workers.
Factor, a company owned by meal kit company HelloFreshopened a factory in an Aurora neighborhood in 2020. That same year, HelloFresh acquired Factor75, a Chicago-based meal delivery company.
The Department of Labor said no further information will be available until the investigation is completed.
This is a development story. CBS News Chicago will continue to provide updates as information becomes available.
