Brandtree

Who owns Crunch?

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.

Evidence: Ferrero Group — our brands. Last checked .

Key facts

Current owner
Ferrero Group reported
Owned since
· deal details
Deal price (whole deal)
$2.8 billion (enterprise value) for 3 brands
Previous owner
Nestlé (1928–2018)
Owner HQ
🇮🇹 Italy, Alba
Origin
🇺🇸 United States
Founded
1928
Category
Food › Confectionery › Chocolate
Last verified
· 1 sources

About Crunch

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.

Ownership timeline of Crunch

Owners of Crunch over 1928 to 2026 Nestlé 1928–2018; Ferrero 2018–present Nestlé Ferrero 19401960198020002020
  1. 1928 – 2018 Nestlé — sold 31 March 2018 [1] reported
  2. 2018 – present Ferrero — acquired 31 March 2018 [1] reported

Where Crunch sits in Ferrero

Controlling ownership as of . Brands grouped under the entity that owns them; large groups are collapsed.

Open the full Ferrero ownership tree →

See the full Ferrero brand portfolio (23) →

Other brands owned by Ferrero

Ferrero controls 23 brands on Brandtree, 23 of them in food.

Also in food

All Ferrero brands →

Other brands in chocolate, and who owns them

The 131 brands in chocolate on Brandtree belong to 45 owners. The largest is Mars, with 9; Ferrero has 6.

BrandOwnerOwner based in
Bounty Mars 🇺🇸 United States
Cadbury Mondelēz 🇺🇸 United States
Danusia Wawel 🇵🇱 Poland
Elizabeth Shaw Colian 🇵🇱 Poland
Almond Joy Hershey 🇺🇸 United States
Caffarel Lindt & Sprüngli 🇨🇭 Switzerland
Eitt Sett Nói Síríus 🇮🇸 Iceland
Águila Arcor 🇦🇷 Argentina

Every brand in chocolate and its owner →

About the owner: Ferrero

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.

Ferrero: full profile, brands and acquisition history →

🇺🇸 Crunch and other American brands

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.

All American brands and who owns them →

Deals involving Crunch

Divestiture closed

Ferrero acquires Butterfinger, Baby Ruth and Crunch

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.

Value
$2.8bn
Buyer
Ferrero
Seller
Nestlé
Regulatory
None recorded

Frequently asked questions

Who is the parent company of Crunch?

The parent company of Crunch is Ferrero, a family-owned company headquartered in Italy.

Is Crunch American or Italian?

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?

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?

Before Ferrero, Crunch was owned by Nestlé from 1928 until 2018.

Is Crunch still owned by Ferrero?

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.

  1. [1] Ferrero Group — our brands — Ferrero Group, Official document; retrieved 16 September 2026.

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