Are Milka products in danger of being sold out in supermarkets? Because the food company is still active in Russia, a Ukrainian organization is demanding exactly that. But what do Mondelez and the stores say about it?
The US food company Mondelez (Milka, Oreo, Tuc) defends itself against criticism of its business in Russia. “There are no easy decisions, but like most other global food and beverage companies, we continue to provide food during these difficult times,” a company spokeswoman said.
“If we were to cease operations completely, we would risk handing over our entire business to another group that could use all of the proceeds for their own interests.” This would mean that part of the food supply for many families would be cut off. Mondelez also justifies the step with reference to the approximately 3,000 employees in Russia.
Ukrainian organization called for boycott
The company was responding to an action by Vitsche, a Ukrainian organization based in Berlin. She sent a letter to Rewe and Edeka this week. It called on supermarket chains to stop selling Mondelez products until the company withdraws from Russia.
“International companies that continue to operate in Russia are financing and prolonging the war against Ukraine,” the letter said. The organization accuses Mondelez of not having scaled back its Russian business despite public announcements. The Germany editorial network had previously reported on the letter.
Mondelez contradicts the allegations. “We have reduced our activities, new capital investments, the introduction of new products and stopped our spending on advertising materials in Russia. These measures have resulted in us selling significantly fewer products. We will further reduce our activities,” said a spokeswoman. “Since the beginning of the war, we have condemned this brutal aggression against Ukraine.” Mondelez does not provide company figures for its Russian business.
That’s what the supermarkets say
Rewe did not want to respond to Vitsche’s demand. “Immediately after the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, we imposed a boycott on foodstuffs produced directly in Russia. This continues unchanged,” the company said.
An Edeka spokeswoman said they did not want to comment on the business policies of other companies. According to its own information, the trading company has no longer ordered products produced in Russia since the beginning of the war. According to Mondelez, products sold in Russia are manufactured and distributed exclusively locally.
The company has already been criticized for its business in Russia. The Swedish Football Association has therefore suspended the cooperation since June 2023. The company was placed on a so-called blacklist by the Ukrainian anti-corruption authority. Some German companies have also continued to operate in Russia since the beginning of the war. These include the wholesale group Metro and the chocolate manufacturer Ritter Sport.
Source: Stern
