Chocolate companies see sales melt away

China's slowing economy, the government's anti-corruption drive and a change in consumer habits have been blamed for poor results Global confectionary companies were once surrounded by the sweet smell of success. But times are changing as major brands report crumbling sales and tumbling profits.

For the second quarter of this year, Mondelez International Inc, which owns Cadbury chocolate products and Oreo cookies, announced a 9.2 percent drop in profit to $7.7 billion compared to the same period in 2014. Demand in the Asia-Pacific region, which includes China, fell by 5.5 percent to $1.02 billion.

In a move to cut costs, the multinational confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate, based in the United States, has started trimming staff in Nanjing and Shanghai as well as moving its Beijing office to one of its factories in the capital.