Chocolate is the epitome of comfort food. Every country in the world has its own chocolate culture and production. Chocolate, in any form, is popular with most people, either as a staple food or as an occasional treat.
Chocolate is a confectionery made from cacao beans that are harvested, fermented, dried, roasted, and crushed to produce cacao mass. Cacao mass is the main ingredient of chocolate. After further processing, this mass can be made into different types of chocolate such as milk chocolate, white chocolate, and dark chocolate.
5. Lotte Corp
2022 Revenue: $10.62 billion
South Korean conglomerate Lotte Corporation. (Lotte) operates multiple companies through its subsidiaries. Lotte Group’s four main divisions are food, retail, chemicals, and tourism/services. Lotte Foods is best known for its sweets and drinks from four countries. His 2008 acquisition of Belgian chocolate luxury brand Guylian by Lotte marked the company’s successful entry into the international chocolate industry, but it was not the company’s only acquisition.
In 2014, the company formed a joint venture with Nestlé, the world’s largest food company, and in 2017 acquired India’s most famous ice cream brand, Hub Mall. Mason, a major confectionery company in Myanmar, was acquired by Lotte in 2014 for $69.2 million.
4. Ferrero Group
2022 Revenue: $11.94 billion
Ferrero Group is a publicly traded Italian company that produces chocolate and confectionery. The main item most people associate with Ferrero is Nutella. This chocolate hazelnut spread is courtesy of Ferrero. It is believed that it was created to save money when buying chocolate. Ferrero is one of the best-selling chocolates in the world.
The brand is known for its children’s brand line Tic Tac candies and Ferrero Rocher chocolates, which also include Nutella. According to Euromonitor International Limited 2022, Nutella is the most popular chocolate spread in the world and Ferrero is the third largest chocolate confectionery company.
3. Mondelez International
2022 Revenue: $31.50 billion
Mondelez is an international company that produces food and beverages in addition to sweets. Toblerone, Cadbury, Milka and many other chocolate brands are owned by Mondelez. You may also be well-known for cult brands like Oreo and Chips Ahoy. Mondelez operates in more than 160 countries around the world. The company’s headquarters are located in the Chicago metropolitan area.
2. Mars Wrigley Confectionery
2022 Revenue: $47 billion
Since its founding in 1911, Mars Wrigley Confectionery has grown to become one of the world’s largest food companies. Frank C. Mars founded the company in his home kitchen in Tacoma, Washington. The company currently operates four business segments: Pet Care, Food, Mars Wrigley, and Mars Edge. Mars is now widely known because it has managed to capture a significant part of the global chocolate industry.
It’s important to note that Mars is bigger than Hershey. Some of the most famous chocolate products include M&Ms, Mars Bars, Snickers, and The Three Musketeers. Skittles, Dove, Twix, Milkyway. American food giant Mars has announced plans to acquire British confectionery company Hotel Chocolat for $662 million in 2023 to expand its global reach.
1. Nestle SA
2022 Revenue: $108.13 billion
Nestlé is a long-established company that ranks number 1 on the list of the world’s largest chocolate companies by revenue. Nestlé operates globally in 188 countries, employs approximately 275,000 people worldwide, and is the most profitable leading chocolate company.
Nestlé’s headquarters are located in Vevey, Switzerland. The latter is a health, nutrition and wellness company that manufactures and sells a wide range of products, including prepared meals, as well as chocolate, dairy products, snacks and cooking utensils. This range includes a wide range of products. Famous chocolate products such as KitKat, Butterfinger, Cahiers, Crunch, Smarties, Toll House, Orion and Wonka are at the forefront of the chocolate industry.
