Do we like them?

Do we like Ferrero?

Italian maker of Nutella, Kinder, Ferrero Rocher and Tic Tac, based in Alba, Italy; now also in ice cream and cereal.

Our score: 5 out of 10. Mixed. A big family-owned food brand with a palm oil and supply-chain record that draws repeated criticism. We'd want clearer proof of clean sourcing before backing it.

Ferrero started in 1946 in Alba, Italy, and is still family-owned. It describes itself as having about 50,000 employees and operations in over 170 countries. Giovanni Ferrero is President of the holding company, Ferrero International S.A.

Leadership is changing. Ferrero announced in March 2026 that from 1 September 2026 Alessandro Nervegna becomes CEO of Ferrero Core. Lapo Civiletti, the group CEO and its first non-family CEO since 2017, moves to run Ferrero Ice Cream and WK Kellogg Co.

Palm oil is the main sore spot. In 2022 Ferrero asked its suppliers to stop sourcing from Sime Darby Plantation after US customs found it used forced labour. Ferrero said it bought only indirectly from Sime Darby, which supplied 0.25% of its palm oil volume.

Global Witness named Ferrero among 20 companies buying, directly or indirectly, from two palm oil producers it links to human rights violations. The Business & Human Rights Resource Centre said Ferrero did not respond to its request for comment. Separately, Ferrero responded to child labour allegations in Romania reported by The Sun, saying it found no evidence of child labour but acknowledged inconsistencies with its policies and contracts.

So we land in the middle. It's a well-known maker that acts when problems surface, but the supply-chain concerns keep coming back and the search turned up little independent proof that it has fixed them. That gives a 5.