Italian chocolate giant Ferrero said it is still examining its options on a possible bid for Britain's Cadbury PLC, daily La Stampa reported on Sunday. Cadbury has rejected a $16.2 billion offer from US food group Kraft. US-based Hershey Co and the unlisted family-owned Ferrero have said they were contemplating bids.
Ferrero is "still evaluating the possibility of acquiring the British sweets group", the newspaper said, quoting from a company statement. Without citing sources, it however added that Ferrero's interest had cooled.
Ferrero, known for its Nutella spread and Tic-Tac sweets, could not immediately be reached for comment. In November, Ferrero said it was in the preliminary stages of evaluating options in respect of Cadbury.