The German regulator searched for price cartell

Seven chocolate makers full under suspicion that the companies fixed the prices of their products.

Chocolate makers have explained price increases by saying they
were necessary to cover surging costs for cocoa, which has gained 32
percent in the past year, and sugar, up 22 percent. Nestle, which
declined to comment on the allegations today, has estimated its costs
for milk rose by a third to 6 billion francs in 2007.

German antitrust fines can't exceed 10 percent of a company's
sales in the year preceding a ruling.

Canadian authorities said in November they were investigating
whether companies colluded to set the price of chocolate bars. U.S.
antitrust regulators also made inquiries about pricing practices in
the industry, Mars and Nestle said in December