UK Business Secretary Lord Mandelson met with Kraft Foods boss Irene Rosenfeld yesterday (2 February) after it was confirmed that the US food group will acquire the UK confectioner.

A spokesperson for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) told just-food that the meeting between Kraft’s Irene Rosenfeld and Lord Mandelson had successfully “established a dialogue” over the future of Cadbury’s business.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

However, the spokesperson added that this was the “beginning of the process” and confirmed that no concrete guarantees have been secured over UK jobs.

According to reports in the UK press, Lord Mandelson has indicated that he is looking for “much harder, more specific commitments in the next three to six months”.

“I was disappointed that she [Rosenfeld] was unable to confirm that Cadbury’s confectionery brands will continue to be managed and operated globally out of the UK,” he added.

The meeting took place just hours after Kraft announced that it had secured shareholder backing for its GBP11.5bn (US$18.9bn) takeover of Cadbury.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact