Editing Lindt (section)

=== Corporate developments ===
In September 2017, an investigation conducted by NGO Mighty Earth<ref>{{cite web|last1=Higonett|first1=Etelle|last2=Bellantonio|first2=Marisa|last3=Hurowitz|first3=Glenn|title=Chocolate's Dark Secret|url=http://www.mightyearth.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/chocolates_dark_secret_english_web.pdf|website=Mighty|access-date=2 November 2017|date=15 September 2017|archive-date=26 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191226152648/http://www.mightyearth.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/chocolates_dark_secret_english_web.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> found that a large amount of the cocoa used in chocolate produced by Lindt and other major chocolate companies was grown illegally in [[national park]]s and other protected areas in the [[Ivory Coast]] and [[Ghana]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Olam to acquire global cocoa business of Archer Daniels Midland for $1.7 billion|url=http://www.straitstimes.com/business/companies-markets/olam-to-acquire-global-cocoa-business-of-archer-daniels-midland-for-17|website=The Straits Times|access-date=2 November 2017|language=en|date=16 December 2014|archive-date=12 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191212154425/https://www.straitstimes.com/business/companies-markets/olam-to-acquire-global-cocoa-business-of-archer-daniels-midland-for-17|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Olam Livelihood Charter 2016|url=http://49tmko49h46b4e0czy3rlqaye1b.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Olam-Livelihood-Charter-report-2016-2.pdf|website=Olam|access-date=2 November 2017|date=September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107055533/http://49tmko49h46b4e0czy3rlqaye1b.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Olam-Livelihood-Charter-report-2016-2.pdf|archive-date=7 November 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> the world's two largest [[Cocoa bean|cocoa]] producers.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Wessel|first1=Marius|last2=Quist-Wessel|first2=P.M. Foluke|title=Cocoa production in West Africa, a review and analysis of recent developments|journal=NJAS - Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences|volume=74-75|pages=1–7|doi=10.1016/j.njas.2015.09.001|date=December 2015|doi-access=free}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Harris|first1=Nancy|last2=Payne|first2=Octavia|last3=Alix Mann|first3=Sarah|title=How Much Rainforest Is in That Chocolate Bar?|url=http://www.wri.org/blog/2015/08/how-much-rainforest-chocolate-bar|website=World Resources Institute|access-date=2 November 2017|language=en|date=6 August 2015|archive-date=2 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171102001232/http://www.wri.org/blog/2015/08/how-much-rainforest-chocolate-bar|url-status=live}}</ref> Mighty Earth's 2019 annual "Easter Chocolate Shopping Guide" awarded The Good Egg Award to Lindt "for greatest improvement in sustainable policies".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mightyearth.org/wp-content/uploads/Mighty-Easter-Chocolate-Buying-Guide-Final-low.pdf|title=Mighty Earth 2019 Easter Chocolate Buying Guide|date=April 2019|website=Mighty Earth|access-date=23 August 2019|archive-date=23 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190823233113/http://www.mightyearth.org/wp-content/uploads/Mighty-Easter-Chocolate-Buying-Guide-Final-low.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> However, in terms of agroforestry, Lindt scored only a yellow rating, the second-highest of 4, for Agroforestry and a red ('needs to catch up with the industry') for Agrochemical Management on the 2022 Chocolate Scorecard, which since 2020 is a collaboration between Mighty Earth, Be Slavery Free and other NGOs. 

In November 2018, Lindt opened its first American [[Duty-free shop|travel retail]] store in [[JFK Airport]]'s Terminal 1 and its flagship Canadian shop in [[Yorkdale Shopping Centre]], Toronto.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Madden |first1=Chris |title=Lindt & Sprüngli Travel Retail sees sales jump as Master Chocolatiers debut in US |url=https://www.dfnionline.com/latest-news/lindt-sprungli-sees-sales-jump-master-chocolatiers-debut-us-29-11-2018/ |website=DFNI Online |date=29 November 2018 |access-date=3 December 2018 |archive-date=4 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181204005752/https://www.dfnionline.com/latest-news/lindt-sprungli-sees-sales-jump-master-chocolatiers-debut-us-29-11-2018/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=DeMontis |first1=Rita |title=Lindt flagship store lands at Yorkdale |url=https://canoe.com/life/food/1128-gglindtyorkdale/wcm/0cafa6b9-49e7-40ef-922a-a42fc2e434c4 |website=Canoe.com |access-date=3 December 2018 |date=28 November 2018 |archive-date=4 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181204011356/https://canoe.com/life/food/1128-gglindtyorkdale/wcm/0cafa6b9-49e7-40ef-922a-a42fc2e434c4 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Because the chocolate bunnies sold by Confiserie Heilemann in 2018 were too similar to Lindt's Gold Bunny, the [[Munich]] Higher Regional Court prohibited Heilemann from selling any more chocolate bunnies in 2022.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Lindt & Sprüngli-Aktie unter Druck: Lindt setzt sich in Rechtsstreit um "Goldhasen" durch |url=https://www.finanzen.ch/nachrichten/aktien/lindt-&-spruengli-aktie-unter-druck-lindt-setzt-sich-in-rechtsstreit-um-goldhasen-durch-1031841870 |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20221220123048/https://www.finanzen.ch/nachrichten/aktien/lindt-&-spruengli-aktie-unter-druck-lindt-setzt-sich-in-rechtsstreit-um-goldhasen-durch-1031841870 |archive-date=2022-12-20 |access-date=2025-05-23 |work=finanzen.ch |language=de}}</ref> The colour and design were not sufficiently different from Lindt's Gold Bunny. The Federal Supreme Court had previously classified Lindt's Gold Bunny as a trademark.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lindt-Goldhase: Schokoladenhase genießt laut BGH Markenschutz - WELT |url=https://www.welt.de/wirtschaft/article232799189/Lindt-Goldhase-Schokoladenhase-geniesst-laut-BGH-Markenschutz.html |access-date=2025-05-23 |website=DIE WELT |language=de}}</ref>

In August 2020, the [[Federal Antimonopoly Service]] of Russia (FAS) opened up an [[antitrust]] case against Lindt after a failed response from the company a year earlier. The regulators have found quality differences for the same Lindt products in Russia over what is being sold in Western markets without informing Russian consumers. According to the FAS, such behaviour of foreign producers can lead to a redistribution of demand in the market and lead to unjustified benefits over other competitors, as companies like Lindt can still garner Russian demand for their products through [[Brand awareness|brand recognition]] alone without delivering the same quality as in Western Europe.<ref>{{cite web |title=Russian antimonopoly watchdog opens case against Lindt chocolate producer |url=https://tass.com/economy/1193707 |access-date=25 August 2020 |archive-date=27 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200827191358/https://tass.com/economy/1193707 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Federal Antimonopoly service has opened a case against the manufacturer of Lindt chocolate |date=25 August 2020 |url=https://iz.ru/1052481/2020-08-25/fas-vozbuda-delo-protiv-proizvoditeli-shokolada-lindt |access-date=25 August 2020 |archive-date=11 August 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230811062425/https://iz.ru/1052481/2020-08-25/fas-vozbudila-delo-protiv-proizvoditelia-shokolada-lindt |url-status=live }}</ref> Lindt responded and denied that there are differences for its products sold in Russia and the EU, except for [[Packaging and labeling|labeling]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Lindt denies differences in the composition of chocolate sold in Russia and the EU |url=https://tass.ru/ekonomika/9287893 |access-date=25 August 2020 |archive-date=13 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613022834/https://tass.ru/ekonomika/9287893 |url-status=live }}</ref> However, in response to the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]], Lindt announced on 9 March 2022 that it would temporarily close its eight Russian shops and suspend deliveries to Russia, and on 13 August 2022, the company announced that it would permanently exit the Russian market.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Euro News|title=Swiss chocolate maker Lindt & Sprüngli has announced that it has decided to withdraw from the Russian market|url=https://www.euronews.com/culture/2022/08/17/swiss-chocolate-maker-lindt-withdraws-from-russia|access-date=2024-10-03|publisher=Euro News|date=2022-08-17|archive-date=7 October 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241007091714/https://www.euronews.com/culture/2022/08/17/swiss-chocolate-maker-lindt-withdraws-from-russia|url-status=live}}</ref>

Lindt achieved sales of CHF 4.6 billion in 2021, an increase of 14.2 per cent over the previous year. Net profit increased by 53.2 per cent to CHF 490.5 million.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-03-08 |title=Schoko-Markt wächst |url=https://www.sueddeutsche.de/wirtschaft/lindt-spruengli-schoko-markt-waechst-1.5543378 |access-date=2024-09-16 |website=Süddeutsche.de |language=de |archive-date=30 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241130050917/https://www.sueddeutsche.de/wirtschaft/lindt-spruengli-schoko-markt-waechst-1.5543378 |url-status=live }}</ref> In the previous year, sales fell by 6.1 per cent to CHF 4.02 billion.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nachrichten |first=Stuttgarter |title=Coronavirus trifft Süßigkeiten: Schokokonzern Lindt & Sprüngli mit starken Umsatzeinbußen |url=https://www.stuttgarter-nachrichten.de/inhalt.coronavirus-trifft-suessigkeiten-schokokonzern-lindt-spruengli-mit-starken-umsatzeinbussen.b112fbc5-ba92-46a0-89c8-c72e126f12e8.html |access-date=2024-09-16 |website=stuttgarter-nachrichten.de |language=de |archive-date=22 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221222050108/https://www.stuttgarter-nachrichten.de/inhalt.coronavirus-trifft-suessigkeiten-schokokonzern-lindt-spruengli-mit-starken-umsatzeinbussen.b112fbc5-ba92-46a0-89c8-c72e126f12e8.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2022, Lindt & Sprüngli was criticised for wasting food. In order to avoid discount campaigns, employees of the company used cardboard knives or ballpoint pens to destroy Lindt products in several [[Edeka]] stores in northern [[Hesse]] that were still a few weeks from reaching their [[expiration date]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-12-22 |title=Warum zerstört Hersteller Lindt die eigene Schokolade? |url=https://www.t-online.de/finanzen/aktuelles/wirtschaft/id_100096484/lindt-gezielte-zerstoerung-schoko-hersteller-zerstoert-ware-vor-reduzierungen.html |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=www.t-online.de |language=de |archive-date=26 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240926120120/https://www.t-online.de/finanzen/aktuelles/wirtschaft/id_100096484/lindt-gezielte-zerstoerung-schoko-hersteller-zerstoert-ware-vor-reduzierungen.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2022-12-24 |title=Lindt: „Alles kaputt“ – Edeka-Geschäftsleiter macht Schoko-Hersteller harte Vorwürfe |url=https://www.merkur.de/wirtschaft/lindt-spruengli-edeka-geschaeftsleiter-schokolade-zerstoert-pralinen-rabatt-vorwuerfe-91992896.html |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=www.merkur.de |language=de |archive-date=26 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240926120121/https://www.merkur.de/wirtschaft/lindt-spruengli-edeka-geschaeftsleiter-schokolade-zerstoert-pralinen-rabatt-vorwuerfe-91992896.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Lindt's statement that the company only offers "goods that meet quality standards", which is why "products that are no longer fit for consumption or sale are marked as unfit for sale by the field sales force and removed from the store", did not dispel the allegation.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Schokomarke Lindt in der Kritik: Lindt Mitarbeiter sollen eigene Produkte in Supermärkten zerstört haben |url=https://www.focus.de/panorama/schokomarke-lindt-in-der-kritik-lindt-mitarbeiter-sollen-eigene-produkte-in-supermaerkten-zerstoert-haben_id_181089745.html |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=Focus |language=German |archive-date=26 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240926120121/https://www.focus.de/panorama/schokomarke-lindt-in-der-kritik-lindt-mitarbeiter-sollen-eigene-produkte-in-supermaerkten-zerstoert-haben_id_181089745.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Braatz |first=Nora |date=2022-12-23 |title="Maßlos wütend": Zerstört Lindt seine eigene Schokolade absichtlich? |url=https://utopia.de/news/masslos-wuetend-zerstoert-lindt-seine-eigene-schokolade-absichtlich_445993/ |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=Utopia.de |language=de-DE |archive-date=26 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240926120122/https://utopia.de/news/masslos-wuetend-zerstoert-lindt-seine-eigene-schokolade-absichtlich_445993/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In December 2022, Lindt was among one of many dark chocolate bars that have contained either high amounts of [[lead]] or [[cadmium]] metals, when compared against California's maximum daily allowable dose level, according to Consumer Reports study "Lead and Cadmium Could Be in Your Dark Chocolate".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lead and Cadmium Could Be in Your Dark Chocolate |url=https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-safety/lead-and-cadmium-in-dark-chocolate-a8480295550/ |access-date=2023-01-16 |website=Consumer Reports |language=en-US |archive-date=12 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230112194257/https://www.consumerreports.org/health/food-safety/lead-and-cadmium-in-dark-chocolate-a8480295550/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The cadmium levels are still within the EU limit of 0.80mg/kg for dark chocolate.<ref>{{cite web |title=Cadmium in chocolate, European Commission |url=https://food.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2019-03/cs_contaminants_catalogue_cadmium_chocolate_en.pdf |access-date=7 March 2023 |archive-date=14 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230314204630/https://food.ec.europa.eu/system/files/2019-03/cs_contaminants_catalogue_cadmium_chocolate_en.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2023, Lindt partnered with ChoViva, a German cocoa-free chocolate brand, and launched vegan chocolates using oats and sunflower seeds.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://vegconomist.com/food-and-beverage/sweets-snacks/lindt-cocoa-free-chocolate-brand-choviva/|title=Lindt Partners With Cocoa-Free Chocolate Brand ChoViva to Launch New Vegan Bar|work=vegconomist|date=21 December 2023|access-date=16 January 2024|archive-date=16 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240116200312/https://vegconomist.com/food-and-beverage/sweets-snacks/lindt-cocoa-free-chocolate-brand-choviva/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In July 2023, the company announced that it would no longer target advertising to children under 16. In doing so, the company aims to align itself with market ''Best Practice''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Lindt & Sprüngli: Marketing bei Jugendlichen wird gestoppt |url=https://www.persoenlich.com/kategorie-werbung/marketing-bei-jugendlichen-wird-gestoppt |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=persoenlich.com |language=de-CH |archive-date=26 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240926112122/https://www.persoenlich.com/kategorie-werbung/marketing-bei-jugendlichen-wird-gestoppt |url-status=live }}</ref>

In January 2024, [[Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen]] conducted an investigation in Ghana and uncovered [[child labour]] on the plantations where cocoa is produced for Lindt & Sprüngli. According to the report, the company's monitoring programme in Ghana, where Lindt sources from around 80,000 farmers, proved to be inadequate.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-01-10 |title=Lindt & Sprüngli - In Schweizer Schoggi steckt Kinderarbeit |url=https://www.srf.ch/news/schweiz/lindt-spruengli-in-schweizer-schoggi-steckt-kinderarbeit |access-date=2024-10-09 |website=Schweizer Radio und Fernsehen (SRF) |language=de |archive-date=3 October 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241003225120/https://www.srf.ch/news/schweiz/lindt-spruengli-in-schweizer-schoggi-steckt-kinderarbeit |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2024, an extension to the [[Olten]] plant, which Lindt says is the company's largest cocoa mass plant, was opened.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Regional |first=Keystone-SDA |title=Lindt & Sprüngli hat Kakaomasse-Werk in Olten SO ausgebaut |url=https://www.nau.ch/ort/olten/lindt-sprungli-hat-kakaomasse-werk-in-olten-so-ausgebaut-66756490 |access-date=2024-09-26 |website=Nau |language=de |archive-date=26 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240926114218/https://www.nau.ch/ort/olten/lindt-sprungli-hat-kakaomasse-werk-in-olten-so-ausgebaut-66756490 |url-status=live }}</ref>