"Oh my god! They want how much for that piece of chocolate?!?!"I'm not sure how many of us have actually stood indignantly in a grocery store aisle screaming the above statement since a Hershey bar is usually under a dollar, but if you have, you might be justified.
According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, the US Justice Department is looking into possible price fixing in the chocolate industry. The Justice Department's anti-trust division has contacted Mars (makers of M&Ms and, duh, Mars Bars), Nestle, and Cadbury. Representatives from both Mars and Nestle said they will cooperate with the investigation, though a Cadbury spokeswoman had no comment.
Damn! And I love those Cadbury Creme Eggs at Easter, too!















1-02-2008 @8:22PM Lyn said... Personally, I loved that this article was sitting side by side with an advertisement for Nutrisystem. Nice marketing strategy! "Are you paying too much for candy bars? Just stop buying them and join us!" lol
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1-02-2008 @8:32PM Deb D. said... If people really knew what was in chocolate, the candy companys wouldn't be able to sell it for a penny a bar. I think it is about time someone caught on to the price gouging as I see it. Yes I love it too & I try not to think about what may be in it. lol
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1-02-2008 @8:40PM Joanne said... Personally I don't care how much chocolate costs, I have to have it! However....I refuse to pay good money for low quality chalky tasting chocolate. Any candy bar at a checkout lane in a grocery or convenience store should not be priced higher than .35 cents! Save the $20.00 per pound price for the good stuff!
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1-02-2008 @8:44PM An Average Joe said... Makes me glad I'm a diabetic... all those suckers paying too much for a sweet fix... heheh. Actually I miss it...
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1-02-2008 @8:45PM Todd LeBaron said... 35 cent candy bars at a convenience store? When was the last time you were in one? LOL
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1-02-2008 @8:49PM eric p said... Price fixing has always been around in the candy business ever since Willy Wonka reopened his factory.
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1-02-2008 @8:59PM Sarah said... I actually prefer a Hershey's bar to some gourmet chocolates, just tastes better. Does anyone remember when you could buy a full-size candy bar for 5 cents? Now the smaller size is over a dollar, or more.
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1-02-2008 @9:05PM Brian said... It only costs about $0.05 to make a Snickers bar. That should give you an indication on how much Mars and the retailers are making.
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1-02-2008 @9:09PM Grammasez said... Just so you all know......
Hershey's has closed their plants and have moved production to Mexico. Even the original in Hershey Penn. is gone now.
Adios, Hershey! No more Hershey in my house!
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1-02-2008 @9:11PM WEINERDOG said... Just watch out on the hershey bars. They are closing the factory in PA and moving to mexico. Cheaper labor is their excuse. Let's see if the prices go down. As a UNION man myself. and an AMERICAN, I for one will no longer purchase hershey products.
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1-02-2008 @9:15PM taop3033 said... but its ok for you to pay 3 or 4 bucks for a cup of coffee that only costs .30 to make???
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1-02-2008 @9:20PM Wolfster said... Well you'll love them eggs more if they get cheaper, woncha?
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1-02-2008 @9:21PM golfinkatiekat77 said... They WON'T investigate the oil companies because that is where all the politicians bread is buttered! Those lying bas#$@%s would slit their own mother's throats to keep their profits safe. Yeah right,,,,investigate the chocolate/candy companies...throws the heat of them for a while.
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1-02-2008 @9:22PM Kimaley said... Yeah where is willy wonka when u need him. I love his Wonka Bars bits of marshmellow and graham cracker u can get 2 for $2.00 at Blockbuster. sometimes willy has a contest with those bars with actual gold tickets in them for trips i believe last was was disney. I would loved to run around outside saying I got the golden tickets. I too am a candy freak.
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1-02-2008 @9:24PM laurarvail1 said... Actually it's because Hershey was a union company (has been since right after World War 2), and the costs payroll were outweighing cost of production of the. My mom had/ has a Hershey's Ration Bar from World War2 - you could eat in place of a meal or two. Tastes totally different than the crap they call a Hershey bar, now. For me, I make my own - it's far superior and fresher, and I can vouche for the ingredients. Also cacao is grown in Mexico, we'll see if the price goes down, now that the ingredients are closer to the plant. Actually, the plant in Hershey PA still turns out about 2 billion Hershey kisses a week... don't know where you got your info...
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1-02-2008 @9:25PM raven said... It's been said that there's no such thing as *bad* chocolate, but Hershey's comes damned close. To me it always tasted like they added sawdust to the chocolate.
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1-02-2008 @9:32PM Darin said... It's a scam about the Choco only being raised in the wild etc.. It's a lie... The best chocolate to buy has beans from Cacao bean find 100% blends but most only have 35% but its still the best..
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1-02-2008 @9:39PM steven said... whole lot more taxes to be made in oil than chocolate. follow the money!
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1-02-2008 @9:35PM melinda said... Actually Hershey's no longer makes Mars bars and hasn't made them in years. They were my favorite at one time--and I was the ultimate chocoholic--but as an adult I developed a horrible reaction to chocolate. I haven't eaten so much as a single M&M in over 18 years.
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1-02-2008 @9:36PM bitenspank said... I remember paying $0.27 for a normal size bar, now the snack size ones are selling for that and i paid $1.75 for normal size bar.
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