 | |
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| |
| ISIN | US6092071058  |
| Industry | |
| Predecessor | Kraft Foods Inc. |
| Founded | December 10, 1923; 102 years ago (1923-12-10) (National Dairy Foods Co.) October 1, 2012; 13 years ago (2012-10-01) (Mondelez)[1] |
| Founders |
|
| Headquarters | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Dirk Van de Put (chairman |
| Products | Confectionery |
| Brands | List of Mondelez International brands |
| Services | N/A |
| Revenue |  US$38.5 billion (2025) |
 US$3.55 billion (2025) | |
| US$2.45 billion (2025) | |
| Total assets | US$71.5 billion (2025) |
| Total equity | US$25.8 billion (2025) |
Number of employees | 91,000 (2025) |
| Divisions | Mondelez Canada |
| Subsidiaries | |
| Website | mondelezinternational |
| Footnotes / references [2] | |
Mondelēz International, Inc. (/ˌmɒndəˈliːz/MON-də-LEEZ)[3] is an Americanmultinationalconfectionery,food,holding,beverage and snack food company based inChicago.[4] Mondelez has an annual revenue of about $26.5 billion and operates in approximately 160 countries.[5] It ranked No. 108 in the 2021Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by total revenue.[6]
The company has its origins asKraft Foods Inc., which was founded in Chicago in 1923. The present enterprise has operated since 2012 when Kraft Foods Inc. was renamed Mondelez and retained its snack food business, while its North American grocery business was spun off to a new company calledKraft Foods Group, which 3 years later merged withHeinz to formKraft Heinz. The name Mondelez is derived from theLatin wordmundus ("world") anddelez, a derivative of the word "delicious".[7][8][9]
Mondelez manufactures chocolate, cookies, biscuits, gum, confectionery, and powdered beverages. Mondelez International's portfolio includes several billion-dollar components, among them cookie, cracker, and candy brandsTUC,Nabisco (manufacturers ofBelvita,Chips Ahoy!,Oreo,Ritz,Triscuit,Wheat Thins, etc.),LU,Sour Patch Kids,Barny, andPeek Freans; chocolate brandsMilka,Côte d'Or,Toblerone,Cadbury,Green & Black's,Freia,Marabou, andFry's; gum and cough drop brandsTrident,Dentyne,Chiclets,Halls, andStride; as well asTate's Bake Shop cookies and powdered beverage brandTang.[10]
Mondelez Canada holds the rights to Christie Brown and Company, which consists of brands such asMr. Christie,Triscuits, and Dad's Cookies. Its head office is inToronto, Ontario, with operations inBrampton andHamilton, Ontario, andMontreal, Québec.
Mondelez International is rooted in theNational Dairy Products Corporation (National Dairy), which was founded on December 10, 1923, byEdward E. Rieck and Thomas H. McInnerney. The firm was initially set up to execute on arollup strategy in the fragmented United Statesice cream industry.[11]
In 1924, Kraft Cheese Company was founded and was listed on theChicago Stock Exchange.[12] Two years later, it was listed on theNew York Stock Exchange. In 1928, it acquired Phenix Cheese Company, the maker of acream cheese branded asPhiladelphia Cream Cheese, founded by Jason F. Whitney Sr. and the company changed its name to Kraft-Phenix Cheese Company.[citation needed]
In 1930, National Dairy acquired Kraft Phenix. After the acquisition, the combined company retained the National Dairy name and management, though the Kraft Phenix side of the company continued to operate largely independently.[12][13] The company then changed its name to Kraftco Corporation in 1969, and was renamed again to Kraft Inc. in 1976. After its acquisition byPhillip Morris and the merger withGeneral Foods Corporation in 1989, Kraft Inc. was renamed to Kraft Foods Inc. in 1995. Altria (the former Phillip Morris) sold its stake in 2007.
On September 7, 2009, Kraft made ahostile £10.2 billion takeover bid for the British confectionery groupCadbury, makers ofDairy Milk andBournville chocolate.[14] On November 9, the company's bid (then £9.8 billion) was rejected by Cadbury, which called it a "derisory" offer.[15] Kraft upped its offer on December 4.[16] It had significant political and public opposition in the United Kingdom and abroad, leading to a call for the government to implement economicprotectionism in large-company takeovers.[17] On January 19, 2010, Cadbury approved a revised offer from Kraft which valued the company at £11.5 billion ($19.5 billion). Some funds for the takeover were provided by theRoyal Bank of Scotland.[18]
Cadbury sales were flat after Kraft's acquisition.[19] Despite the Cadbury takeover helping to boost overall sales by 30 percent, Kraft's net profit for the fourth quarter fell 24 percent (to $540 million) due to costs associated with integrating the UK business after the acquisition.[20] Kraft spent $1.3 billion on integration to achieve an estimated $675 million in annual savings by the end of 2012.[21] Kraft increased prices to offset rising commodity costs for corn, sugar, and cocoa in North America and Europe. According to CEOIrene Rosenfeld, "We expect it will remain weak for the foreseeable future." Taking into account integration costs, the acquisition reduced Kraft's earnings per share by about 33% immediately after the Cadbury purchase.[20]
In August 2011, Kraft Foods announced plans to split into two publicly traded companies, an international snack-food company and a North American grocery company.[22][23]
The snack-food company, called Mondelez International, would be the legal successor of the old Kraft Foods, while the grocery company would be a new company,Kraft Foods Group. The split was completed in October 2012.[24] It was structured so that Kraft Foods changed its name to Mondelez International and spun off Kraft Foods Group as a new publicly traded company.[25] Kraft Foods Group later merged withHeinz to becomeKraft Heinz.[24]
In 2014, the company announced a merger of its coffee business with the Dutch firmDouwe Egberts.[26] The name of the newly merged company would beJacobs Douwe Egberts (nowJDE Peet's).[26] The merger was confirmed on May 6, 2014, and completed on July 2, 2015.[27][28]
In April 2015, the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) alleged that Mondelez International and its former subsidiary, Mondelez Global, bought $90 million (£61 million) of wheat futures with no intention of taking delivery.[29] According to the CFTC, the purchase raised the price of the commodity and earned the company $5.4 million.[29]
In January 2016, Mondelez announced that it would source 100% cage-free eggs globally by 2025.[30]
On June 30, 2016, Mondelez made a $23 billion offer to buy its smaller rival,Hershey.[31] The half-cash, half-stock deal valued Hershey stock at $107 a share.[31] Hershey's board, however, unanimously rejected the offer.[31] In 2016,Terry's was one of a number of brands acquired byEurazeo from Mondelēz, and it subsequently became part of Carambar & Co.[32][33]
In January 2017, the company sold the Australian grocery business, includingVegemite, toBega Cheese.[34]
In August 2017, it was announced thatDirk Van de Put, Belgian CEO ofMcCain Foods, would succeed Irene Rosenfeld as CEO in November 2017.[35]
On May 6, 2018, Mondelez agreed to buy cookie makerTate's Bake Shop for approximately $500 million.[36] The acquisition was completed on June 7, 2018.[37]
On June 19, 2019, Mondelez agreed to acquire a majority interest in Perfect Snacks, owner of refrigerated protein bar Perfect Bar.[38] The acquisition was completed on July 16.[39]
On February 25, 2020, Mondelez announced that it was acquiring a majority stake in Toronto-based Give & Go, a maker of two-bite brownies.[40] The acquisition was completed on April 3, 2020.[41]
In January 2021, Mondelez announced that it had bought Hu Master Holdings for more than $250 million.[42]
On May 26, 2021, Mondelez announced an agreement to acquire Greek snack companyChipita S.A., a high-growth key player in the Central and Eastern European croissants and baked snacks category.[43] On January 3, 2022, Mondelez announced that the acquisition was complete.[44]
In May 2022, it was announced Mondelez had acquiredGrupo Bimbo's confectionery business, Ricolino, for approximately US$1.3 billion.[45]
On May 10, 2022, Mondelez announced that it would sell its gum business, includingTrident andDentyne, in developed markets including North America and parts of Europe, as well as the entireHalls cough drop business, these businesses used to be owned by their former ownerWarner Lambert.[46]
In June 2022, Mondelez announced that it would be acquiringClif Bar for $2.9 billion. Through the acquisition, Mondelez will obtain Clif, Luna, and Clif Bar Kids as a part of its portfolio.[47]
On December 19, 2022, Mondelez announced that it was selling its gum business, including theTrident,Dentyne,Chiclets andBubblicious brands, toPerfetti Van Melle, the makers ofMentos. The deal closed on October 2, 2023.[48]
The headquarters is located inFulton Market, in Chicago, Illinois.[49] In 2020, the company announced that the headquarters was moving from suburbanDeerfield, Illinois to Chicago.[50] Mondelez' North American headquarters was then established inEast Hanover,New Jersey, U.S., and a globalinnovation center was opened in 2023 in nearbyWhippany, also inMorris County, New Jersey.[51]
For the fiscal year 2017, Mondelēz International reported earnings of US$2.922 billion, with an annual revenue of US$25.896 billion, a decline of 0.1% over the previous fiscal cycle.[52] Mondelēz International's shares traded at over $42 per share, and its market capitalization was valued at over US$58.8 billion in October 2018.[52] In the first quarter of 2020, due toCOVID-19 lockdowns and people stocking up with sweets, the company's sales grew by 15% in North America, increasing its overall revenue by almost 3%.[53]
| Year[54] | Revenue in mil. US$ | Net income in mil. US$ | Total assets in mil. US$ | Price per share in US$ | Employees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 34,113 | 2,632 | 57,628 | 14.42 | 94,000 |
| 2006 | 33,256 | 3,060 | 55,574 | 15.24 | 90,000 |
| 2007 | 35,858 | 2,721 | 67,993 | 16.33 | 103,000 |
| 2008 | 40,492 | 2,884 | 63,173 | 15.28 | 98,000 |
| 2009 | 38,754 | 3,021 | 66,714 | 13.68 | 97,000 |
| 2010 | 31,489 | 4,114 | 95,289 | 16.43 | 127,000 |
| 2011 | 35,810 | 3,554 | 93,837 | 19.21 | 126,000 |
| 2012 | 35,015 | 3,067 | 75,477 | 23.06 | 110,000 |
| 2013 | 35,299 | 3,915 | 72,515 | 28.09 | 107,000 |
| 2014 | 34,244 | 2,184 | 66,771 | 33.41 | 104,000 |
| 2015 | 29,636 | 7,267 | 62,843 | 38.64 | 99,000 |
| 2016 | 25,923 | 1,659 | 61,538 | 41.15 | 90,000 |
| 2017 | 25,896 | 2,922 | 63,109 | 42.46 | 83,000 |
| 2018 | 25,938 | 3,381 | 62,729 | 42.21 | 80,000 |
| 2019 | 25,868 | 3,870 | 64,549 | 51.57 | 80,000 |
| 2020 | 26,581 | 3,555 | 67,810 | 58.47 | 79,000 |
| 2021 | 28,720 | 4,300 | 67,092 | 66.31 | 79,000 |
| 2022 | 31,500 | 2,720 | 71,160 | 69.72 | 80,000 |
| 2023 | 36,016 | 4,959 | 71,391 | ||
| 2024 | 36,441 | 4,611 | 68,497 | 90,000 |
Mondelez International brands (formerlyKraft Foods Inc.) includesbrand-name products that are developed, owned, licensed, or distributed by Mondelez International. The company's core businesses aresnack foods andconfectionery. In certain international territories, Kraft-branded products have been made by Mondelez under license fromKraft Heinz Company since 2012.
In September 2017, an investigation[55] conducted by NGOMighty Earth found that a large amount of the cocoa used in chocolate produced by Mondelez and other major chocolate companies was grown illegally innational parks and other protected areas inIvory Coast andGhana.[56][57][58] The countries are the world's two largestcocoa producers.[59][60]
The report documents how in several national parks and other protected areas, 90% or more of the land mass has been converted to cocoa.[61] Less than four percent of Ivory Coast remains densely forested, and the chocolate companies' laissez-faire approach to sourcing has driven extensivedeforestation in Ghana as well.[62] In Ivory Coast, deforestation has pushedchimpanzees into just a few small pockets, and reduced the country'selephant population from several hundred thousand to about 200–400.[63][64][65] Mondelez claimed to have mapped almost all of its cocoa suppliers in Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana and Indonesia by 2018 in an effort to combat deforestation.[66]
In November 2018, an investigation byGreenpeace International found that 22palm oil suppliers to Mondelez International cleared over 70,000 hectares (170,000 acres; 270 sq mi) of rainforest from 2015 to 2017.[67] Mondelez received a 'yellow', the second of the four possible ratings on the 2022 Chocolate Scorecard for Agroforestry i.e. 'starting to implement good policies'.[68]
In 2021, Mondelez International was named in a class action lawsuit filed by eight former child slaves fromMali (aided by International Rights Advocates) who allege that the company aided and abetted their enslavement oncocoa plantations in Ivory Coast. The suit accused Mondelez (along withNestlé,Cargill,Mars,Olam International,The Hershey Company, andBarry Callebaut) of knowingly engaging in forced labor, and the plaintiffs sought damages for unjust enrichment, negligent supervision, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.[69]
As with deforestation, Mondelez is 'starting to implement good policies' according to the 2022 Chocolate Scorecard.[70] Its Cocoa Life programme for sustainable cocoa aims to address the root causes of child labour with a holistic approach, collaborating with families, encouraging school attendance and monitoring child labour on farms.[71] Cocoa Life farms accounted for 43% of Mondelez' cocoa needs by 2018 and the company planned to have 100% coverage with Cocoa Life by 2025.[72]
An investigation in 2022 by Britain's Channel 4Dispatches found children as young as 10 working on farms in Ghana supplying the Cadbury's brand of Mondelēz International.[73] The investigation went to an address on Mondelēz's Cocoa Life website in 2022 and discovered child laborers harvesting cocoa without protective clothing.
In November 2023, International Rights Advocates (on behalf of nine children) again filed a class-complaint against Cargill, Mars, and Mondelez, alleging that:[74][75]
rather than honor the pledge that they made [to phase out by 2005 their use of the Worst Forms of Child Labor as defined by ILO Convention No. 182.], defendants and all of the other major chocolate companies, have done little to address the ongoing and pervasive use of child workers performing the worst forms of child labor on their sourcing plantations and have focused on misleading the public by falsely claiming their "rehabilitation" programs offer meaningful assistance to children found working on their plantations.
After theRussian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, many international companies felt compelled to reduce or end business in the Russian Federation.[76] Mondelez made public statements that it had "reduced all non-core activities" and stopped new investments in the country.[77] As of March 12, 2022, Mondelez International was listed in an online spreadsheet byYale professorJeffrey Sonnenfeld as being among a minority of companies continuing to do business in Russia, where it generates 3.5% of annual revenue (approximately $1 billion).[78]
On May 25, 2023, Ukraine'sNational Agency on Corruption Prevention (NACP) declared Mondelez International an international sponsor of war, stating that Mondelez's Russian branch increased its profit in 2022 by 303%.[79] This has led to boycotts from consumers and companies in the Nordic countries[80][81] as well as from the football associations of Denmark,[82] Norway[83] and Sweden.[84] Also, some Mondelez employees in Eastern Europe have protested.[85] This also resulted inCharles III stripping Cadbury of theirroyal warrant[86] and Sweden stripping theirs ofMarabou.[87]
The chief executive of Mondelez, Dirk Van de Put, stated in February 2024 that investors "do not morally care" if the company continues to do business in Russia.[88]
In May 2024, theEuropean Commission imposed a fine on Mondelez of €337.5 million foranti-competitive practices and for abusing its dominant market position in breach ofantitrust laws in theEuropean Union (EU), including illegally blocking cross-border sales of chocolate, cookies, and coffee products between EU countries, thereby preventing retailers from sourcing products from EU countries where prices were lower.[89][90]
In July 2025 Mondelez'Milka chocolate was mocked withFoodwatch'sGoldener Windbeutelaward forshrinkflation.[91][92]
Global Mondelēz International Headquarters 905 West Fulton Market, Suite 200 Chicago, IL, 60607, USA
The company still maintains a presence in North Jersey, employing about 1,500 employees at its North American headquarters inEast Hanover. It also recently opened a global innovation center inWhippany
Media related toMondelēz International at Wikimedia Commons
