The Ferrero Group’s flagship product, Nutella, has been an indulgent breakfast fixture in Europe for over 60 years. Eyeing North American breakfast tables, the Italian candy company bought cereal manufacturer W.K. Kellogg, maker of Frosted Flakes and Froot Loops, in September for $3.1 billion, the latest and most expensive purchase in Ferrero’s aggressive North American expansion. The world’s third-largest confectioner has spent over $11.4 billion on U.S. acquisitions since 2017, starting with Ferrara Candy Company (creator of Red Hots and Lemonheads) for $1.3 billion, followed by Nestlé’s U.S. confectionery business for $2.8 billion, after which it reformulated Butterfinger with higher-quality ingredients, drawing in more demand for the candy bar. It also acquired Halo Top owner Wells Enterprises in 2022 and protein snack company Power Crunch in 2025 . During this time, Ferrero opened its first innovation center outside of Europe in Chicago to refresh the catalogues of its legacy brands .…