Lawsuit accuses chocolate makers of price fixing

Tue Feb 19, 2:40 PM

TORONTO (Reuters) - A Toronto law firm said on Tuesday it has filed a class action lawsuit against the Canadian divisions of major chocolate makers over allegations of price fixing.

The suit claims that the units of manufacturers including Nestle , Hershey Co , Cadbury Schweppes and Mars conspired to inflate the price of their products by five percent or more on at least three occasions.

Law firm Juroviesky and Ricci said the suit was filed with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and includes all Canadian residents that consumed chocolate products in Canada since February 2004.

Canada's Competition Bureau launched an investigation into the chocolate industry last November amid allegations of anti-competitive practices.

Earlier this month, investigators raided the German offices of Mars, Ritter, Nestle and Kraft Foods on suspicion the chocolate bar makers colluded over price increases.

The lawsuit estimated chocolate sales in Canada of about C$1.4 billion in 2007.

($1=$1.01 Canadian)

(Reporting by Leah Schnurr; Editing by Bernadette Baum)