European Officials Look at Chocolate Pricing

The European Commission has asked for information on Hershey's pricing practices, a signal that regulators across the globe are taking a broader look into allegations of an industrywide price-fixing scheme. In its annual report released Tuesday, Hershey Co. also said it had been named in about 50 civil antitrust suits in the United States and three in Canada, filed on behalf of consumers and distributors in connection with price-fixing allegations. Hershey's report contains the first indication that European regulators now are looking at the U.S. candy company, which does only a small portion of its business in Europe.