Four of the world’s biggest confectionery companies are being sued over alleged price fixing in the US.
Cadbury, Mars, Hershey and Nestlé have all been served with a lawsuit in the US alleging that they conspired to push up the prices of their chocolate bars.
The suit has been served against Hershey by US grocery retailer Supervalu, according to the Independent.
Supervalu argued that weakening demand for chocolate should have caused prices to fall, but price hikes were imposed despite shoppers seeking healthier snacks.
“In the face of this waning demand and the prospect of stagnating revenue, defendants decided to engage in ‘collective self-help’ – i.e. collusion – in order to increase their prices, revenues and profits,” the suit claims.
All defendants have pledged to vigorously defend the allegations.
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