Three class action lawsuits brought in California allege Mars, Nestlé and Hershey use child labor to produce their best-selling chocolate brands. [Hagens Berman] brought the cases on behalf of private consumers…who say they would not have purchased the firm’s chocolate products if they knew they were produced through child labor…Nestlé told ConfectionaryNews it would contest the case [and] “[t]he issue cannot be properly addressed through lawsuits”…In 2009, Mars committed to sourcing only certified cocoa by 2020…Hershey’s head of corporate communication…told [ConfectionaryNews]: “The allegations in the lawsuit are not new”…The lawsuit alleges over 1.1m children in Côte d’Ivoire were engaged in the most common Worst Forms of Child Labour [including] lifting heavy loads, working with dangerous tools and exposure to toxic chemicals…Hagens Berman’s suits also claim children are trafficked into Côte d’Ivoire from other countries…before being forced to work under conditions of physical violence without pay...