The owner of Toblerone, Milka and Oreo has been fined €337.5m (£288m) for anti-competitive practices in the EU (The Guardian). Mondelez was found to have been involved in 22 unfair trade practices, according to the European Commission on Thursday.
The EU antitrust watchdog said Mondelez, which also makes Oreo cookies and Ritz crackers among many other snacks, had struck anti-competitive agreements with distributors to “illegally restrict retailers from sourcing these products from member states where prices are lower” (Telegraph £).
EU ministers will on Friday press Brussels to crack down on multinational companies that force retailers to pay sharply different prices for the same branded product, such as chocolate or biscuits, costing consumers an estimated €14bn a year (Financial Times £).
Almost 1,000 workers at two Morrisons warehouses will strike for the next three days over a cut in company contributions to their pensions which they say is worth up to £10m a year (The Guardian).
Rishi Sunak’s flagship smoking ban will not become law before the general election, it was announced on Thursday (Financial Times £).
Disposable e-cigarettes have led to a tripling of vaping in young adults and reversed a historic fall in nicotine use, a new study shows (The Times £).
Gusbourne, a maker of sparkling wine controlled by Lord Ashcroft, has added the Chinese mainland to its list of export markets as it seeks to cash in on a growing taste for English fizz around the world (The Times £).
Oddbox is ready to grow again after cost of living crisis bites (The Times £). The fruit and veg delivery firm has cut costs and laid off staff as it battles to overcome the effects of inflation and the return to the office.
UK consumer confidence rose to the highest level in more than two years in May, according to data by the research company GfK, providing welcome news to the Conservative party as it counts down to the summer election (Financial Times £).
Confidence among consumers has risen to its highest level in nearly three years, according to a closely watched survey, suggesting that families recognise an improvement in economic conditions heading into the six-week general election campaign (The Times £).
Kellogg’s is recalling boxes of its new chocolate cornflakes due to concerns they contain “hard lumps” that could cause damage to teeth or be a choking hazard (The Guardian).
Pub-goers are being ripped off, with more than two thirds of beer and wine sold in UK pubs being short-measured, a survey by Trading Standards reveals (The Times £).
Trading standards officers visited 77 venues across the UK, finding 96 short measures out of 137 test purchases, meaning approximately 70% had less of the drink than had been declared or paid for (The Guardian).
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