The mouthguard manufacturer Zhende Medical has operations in Xinjiang province in China, where forced labor and oppression of the Muslim minority group Uighurs are widespread.
Still sold at pharmacies
After SVT's review in December, these mouth guards were withdrawn, but now, after a couple of weeks break, you can again buy mouth guards from Zhende at Apotea and at Kronan's pharmacy.
Both pharmacies have chosen to sell out of the stock they have already bought.
- Right or wrong, we judged that it was better to ensure the availability of mouth protection and give the money to charity, says Pär Svärdson, CEO of Apotea.
- The alternative was to destroy them and we did not feel it was a good solution either, says Andreas Rosenlund, information director at Kronan's pharmacy.
No information for customers
Both Kronan and Apotea have sustainability policies that protect health, openness and dialogue with customers, among other things.
Nevertheless, there is no information to customers that mouth guards from Zhende can be manufactured under duress.
Staff at several of Kronan's pharmacies say instead that forced labor does not occur and that mouth guards are therefore sold as usual again.
This is a message the company has received from its main supplier.
- We feel a little more comfortable selling them out then, says Andreas Rosenlund.
"Not sure"
Several experts have in SVT's previous review pointed out that forced labor and oppression are so common in Xinjiang province that the only way to be sure that it does not occur in the supply chain is not to trade with players in the area.
Have you told the staff that you are not sure if there is forced labor or not?
- I am not sure what is in the internal messages, says Andreas Rosenlund.