Cadbury records a sweet 24% profit despite damaging salmonella scare
The company added that it expected full-year revenues growth to be “towards the upper end of our goal range” of 3% to 5% but added it was “still monitoring the trading impact of the UK recall”.
Last year, Cadbury revenues reached £6.5 billion.
The 14% slump in chocolate sales in the last four weeks came as the overall British chocolate market fell 9% because of the heat wave. Cadbury said its own share of the British market was down 1.1% last month.
Cadbury stepped up its marketing campaign today with an extra £5m of investment in a bid to win back customers.
Its Coronation Street adverts are back after being pulled following the outbreak and five of the seven products recalled are back on sale — Dairy Milk Turkish 250g, Dairy Milk Caramel 250g, Dairy Milk Mint 250g, Dairy Milk Eight Chunk and Dairy Milk 1kg. The firm said Cadbury Dairy Milk Buttons Easter Eggs will not reappear until next year, while the Cadbury Freddo will not be restocked.
The company apologised for the outbreak of salmonella, which it blamed on a leaking pipe at its Marlbrook site in January.
Mr Stitzer said: “Although we have always acted in good faith throughout, we have caused concern and for that I am extremely sorry.”
The British Food Standards Agency has launched an investigation into why it took the company six months to report the contamination.
The Health Protection Agency branded Cadbury’s chocolate the most likely cause of an outbreak of a rare strain of salmonella poisoning in Britain, known as Montevideo.
Catherine Henderson, 62, from Larne, Co Antrim, has already threatened to sue Cadbury after coming down with the illness, which can cause diarrhoea, vomiting, fever, chills and headaches.
Yesterday, her law firm, solicitors Irwin Mitchell, said a number of other apparent victims have now come forward seeking legal advice. Cadbury said it was not aware of any legal action against it.
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