Deal With Hershey’s Puts An End To Import Of Cadbury Chocolates [View all]
It will soon be more difficult for consumers who prefer the taste of British-made chocolate to get their sweet-tooth fix. A new deal between Hersheys and Lets Buy British Imports essentially puts a stop to the import of many iconic British chocolate brands from overseas.
The New York Times reports the two parties agreed to stop the import of all British-produced Cadbury chocolate, as well as KitKat bars, Toffee Crisps and Yorkie chocolate bars after Hersheys claimed the products infringed on its trademarks and trade dress licensing.
(Once again, dont worry about not having a Cadbury Creme Egg this Easter. Hersheys has a license agreement to manufacture Cadburys chocolate in the U.S., albeit with a different recipe.)
The issue doesnt come down to the chocolate itself, as chocolate made in Britain has a distinctly different recipe.
For example, the Times reports, British chocolate has a higher fat content; the first ingredient listed on a British Cadburys Dairy Milk (plain milk chocolate) is milk. In an American-made Cadburys bar, the first ingredient is sugar.
Instead the decision to stop importing the goods from overseas rests on the products packaging. Toffee Crisps comes in an orange packaging and yellow-lined brown script, which Hersheys says too closely resembled that of the Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, while Yorkie bars could be considered an infringement on the York peppermint patty, the Times reports.
While you would often be hard-pressed to find a British-made chocolate bar in the aisle of your local supermarket, many small, independently owned speciality stores regularly stocked the items.
One British goods retailer tells the Times that the ban on importing the treats will likely put her out of business.
The impending ban on imported British chocolate was met with opposition not only from business owners but consumers. A petition was created on MoveOn.org protesting Hersheys actions and seeking to allow the treats entrance to the U.S. So far, the petition has garnered more than 10,000 signatures.
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More, incld link to NYT story & petition:
http://consumerist.com/2015/01/26/deal-with-hersheys-puts-an-end-to-import-of-cadbury-chocolates/