Correspondence
Email sent to Sysco Corporation's media team with a query for Sysco France.
The email said: "I’m contacting you in light of our latest investigation which concerns the use of forced labor in China’s food processing industry, and a link we’ve discovered between a company engaged in such practices and Sysco France's supply chain.
Cité Marine, a supplier of processed Alaska pollock products to the Sysco France subsidiary Davigel, sources Alaska pollock from a company called Qingdao Tianyuan Aquatic Products. Qingdao Tianyuan Aquatic Products has received persons from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China under the state-imposed labor transfer program. Davigel Alaska pollock products are available for sale via Sysco France.
The United Nations, human rights organizations and academic experts agree that since 2018, the Chinese government has systematically subjected Xinjiang’s predominantly Muslim ethnic minorities to forced labor across the country via state-sanctioned employment schemes which use coercive methods in worker enrollment. The U.S. has prohibited the importation of goods produced from state-imposed forced labor.
Does Sysco France have any comment or statement to make in light of the above information? Please let me know by close of business, July 19, 2023."
The Outlaw Ocean Project emailed: "I’m checking back on this to see if Sysco France has any comment or clarification to make in response to my email dated July 14. Please let me know by close of business today."
Shannon Mutschler, Senior Director, External Communications at Sysco (based in the U.S.) emailed: "I am following up with the French team on this."
The Outlaw Ocean Project replied: "Just checking in to see if you have any response to send us on our outstanding queries regarding Sysco and also Sysco France. Could you please let us know by close of business today as we are preparing for publication?"