Crunch is owned by Ferrero (Italy), which acquired the brand on 31 March 2018 from Nestlé, as part of a $2.8 billion deal that also included Butterfinger and Baby Ruth.[1] Before Ferrero, Crunch was owned by Nestlé from 1928 to 2018.[1]
This ownership is reported in official statements but has not yet been matched to a regulatory filing.
Crunch is a crisped rice chocolate bar introduced in 1928 by Nestlé in the United States, one of the earliest chocolate bars to use puffed cereal for texture. Ferrero acquired the American rights in 2018, while Nestlé retained the brand in other markets.
Ferrero is a family-owned company headquartered in Alba, Italy, founded in 1946. Brandtree records 23 brands under its control.
Ferrero was founded by pastry maker Pietro Ferrero in Alba, Piedmont in 1946, where wartime cocoa shortages led him to stretch chocolate with local hazelnuts. It remains family-owned through a Luxembourg holding company and has expanded into American biscuits and ice cream by acquisition.
Brandtree records a controlling owner for 2,549 brands that began in the United States.
478 of them (19%) are now controlled by a company headquartered in another country, Crunch among them.
Nestlé sold its United States confectionery business, including Butterfinger, Baby Ruth, Crunch and around twenty other brands, to Ferrero. Nestlé kept its confectionery businesses in every other market.
The parent company of Crunch is Ferrero, a family-owned company headquartered in Italy.
Is Crunch American or Italian?
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Crunch originated in the United States in 1928, but it is owned today by Ferrero, which is headquartered in Italy. So Crunch is an American-origin brand under Italian ownership.
When did Ferrero buy Crunch?
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Ferrero completed its acquisition of Crunch on 31 March 2018, after announcing the deal on 16 January 2018. The deal, which also included Butterfinger and Baby Ruth, was valued at $2.8 billion (enterprise value).
Who owned Crunch before Ferrero?
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Before Ferrero, Crunch was owned by Nestlé from 1928 until 2018.
Is Crunch still owned by Ferrero?
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Yes. As of 25 September 2026, Crunch is still owned by Ferrero. The ownership record was last checked against primary sources on that date.
Sources (1) & corrections
Last verified . Every ownership fact above is backed by one of these primary documents. Numbers in brackets in the text refer to this list.
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