Adobe Free Stock
Mondelez Oreo Adobe Stock 113537867 64888c71cea3a

Mondelez Faces Scandinavian Boycotts Over Retention of Russian Business

June 13, 2023
Businesses in Norway and Sweden stop selling the snack-maker’s products to support Ukraine.

Mondelez International is facing a growing corporate boycott in Norway and Sweden over its decision to maintain its business in Russia -- despite that country’s continued war against Ukraine and other processors’ decisions to leave.

The Reuters news service reported Airlines SAS and Norwegian Air, railway group SJ, hotel chain Strawberry, retailer Elkjop, shipping group Fjord Line and the Norwegian Football Assn. were among those announcing in recent days that they would stop selling Mondelez products.

In response, the global snack maker over the past weekend asked to meet with the Norwegian government to protect its local business, according to Reuters. Mondelez has a significant presence in Norway and Sweden due to its ownership of local chocolate manufacturers Freia and Marabou.

Last year and early into this year, we reported a number of other food & beverage processors terminating their businesses in Russia. Those stories included Kraft Heinz, Kellogg, Danone, PepsiCo and Coca-Cola.

Reuters said the Nordic companies made their decision stop selling Mondelez products based on a recent announcement by Ukraine's National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption to blacklist the snack maker and other groups.

Coop Norge, Norway's second biggest food retailer, said on June 10 it would seek advice from the Norwegian government before making any decisions, according to the news service.

Mondelez in a statement to Reuters said it would seek to meet with relevant government ministries to explain its position, adding that it was not selling any Russian-made products in Norway.

Mondelez did not respond to our request for comment. But the second story currently on their home page is titled “Our Support to Ukraine.”

About the Author

Dave Fusaro | Editor in Chief

Dave Fusaro has served as editor in chief of Food Processing magazine since 2003. Dave has 30 years experience in food & beverage industry journalism and has won several national ASBPE writing awards for his Food Processing stories. Dave has been interviewed on CNN, quoted in national newspapers and he authored a 200-page market research report on the milk industry. Formerly an award-winning newspaper reporter who specialized in business writing, he holds a BA in journalism from Marquette University. Prior to joining Food Processing, Dave was Editor-In-Chief of Dairy Foods and was Managing Editor of Prepared Foods.

Sponsored Recommendations

Refrigerated transport services you can count on

Ensure product quality from origin to final destination with refrigerated shipping solutions from Schneider.

4 shipping challenges that a dedicated carrier can solve

Navigating the logistics industry is challenging. Find out how a dedicated transportation solution can solve some of the most common shipping challenges.

Dedicated lightweight solution maximizes bottled water payload

A leading bottled water company needed a carrier to transport water from 29 plants to retailers. The challenge? Handling over 46,000 pounds. Read the study.

Recipe for successful growth: Schneider’s dedicated fleet services helps bakery rise

Learn how a large bakery company complimented their private fleet with Schneider Dedicated freight services to increase freight capacity, amplify visibility & reduce costs.