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Chocolate Giant Ferrero Drawn into EU Competition Investigation

By  |  April 15, 2026

Italian confectionery giant Ferrero has been raided by European Commission officials as part of an ongoing antitrust investigation, the company confirmed this week, according to Euractiv.

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    A spokesperson for Ferrero said on Wednesday that the company had been subjected to “on-site inspections” conducted by Commission authorities at its offices. The representative did not disclose specific details regarding the exact locations or timing of the inspections, per Euractiv.

    The development follows earlier reports that EU regulators carried out unannounced checks at two sites linked to a major chocolate and confectionery producer operating within the bloc. According to Euractiv, Ferrero later confirmed that it was the company involved in those inspections.

    Ferrero, known globally for products such as Nutella, was founded in Alba, Italy, and is owned by Giovanni Ferrero, though its corporate headquarters are currently based in Luxembourg.

    “The company is fully cooperating and providing the information requested,” Ferrero told Bloomberg, reiterating its willingness to assist authorities during the investigation, according to Euractiv.

    Related: EU Antitrust Authorities Conduct Surprise Raids on Chocolate Company

    The European Commission had announced earlier this week that it conducted surprise inspections at the premises of a company active in the chocolate sector across two EU member states. These inspections are linked to suspicions of potential violations of EU competition rules, per Euractiv.

    At the center of the probe are concerns over practices that may restrict the free movement of goods within the EU’s single market. Regulators are particularly examining whether companies engaged in so-called territorial supply constraints, which can prevent products from being traded freely across borders within the bloc, according to Euractiv.

    The Commission emphasized that such inspections are a preliminary step in antitrust investigations and do not imply any wrongdoing by the companies involved. It also noted that there is no fixed timeline for concluding these inquiries, as their duration varies depending on the specifics of each case, per Euractiv.

    Source: Euractiv