Whole Foods also points out that the slave labor in the AP report is used to peeled raw shrimp, but that none of the shrimp it buys in Thailand is processed that way. The investigation followed a 2013 report by the Environmental Justice Foundation, a nongovernmental organization, which chronicled the abuse in the Thai shrimp industry. Among the conditions of the factories noted in the A.P. story: Workers - both adults and children - were assigned numbers rather than being referred to by name; were forced to work 16+ hour days to work off the debt of being brought into the country illegally; hand to endure unsanitary working conditions, including toilets overflowing with human waste; and were subjected to acts of physical abuse and threats of mortal violence. Some of the retailers and restaurants listed include: Wal-Mart, Kroger, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Dollar General, Petco and even Whole Foods. According to the report, the shrimp also entered the supply chains of popular USA dining chains Red Lobster and Olive Garden. Shrimp brands and companies liked to slavery-tainted supply chains included Chicken of the Sea, Winn-Dixie, Publix, and others, the report said. One of the accused plants is reportedly a supplier of one of Thai Union's subsidiaries. Some U.S. firms said their supply chains had not been tainted. "After thorough investigation, we're confident Thai Union shrimp at our stores did not come from [an] illicit processing facility", Whole Foods tweeted Tuesday morning. Although the Austin-based retailer didn't go into details publicly, the CEO of Thai Union acknowledged that "illicitly sourced product may have fraudulently entered its supply chain". Whole Foods (NASDAQ:WFM) has denied claims that its shrimp is peeled by slaves. Greenpeace has also called on the Thai seafood sector and Thai Union Group to take action and resolve the issue. "Every single company involved must be held accountable for the hundreds of thousands of people suffering in miserable conditions - from those catching the seafood to the supermarkets selling it". Seating Chair - Independent NEWS Agency - SeatingChair.com http://seatingchair.com/2015/12/23/whole-foods-denies-its-shrimp-is-peeled-by-slaves-56869.html