Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Cadbury slips from 'most trusted' spot

Updated at 6:04 am on 29 June 2010

Confectionary giant Cadbury has lost its sweet spot with New Zealand consumers, loosing its title as the country's most trusted brand.

The annual Reader's Digest Trust Survey has instead awarded top honours to the food producer Wattie's. Toyota took second place, Sony third, and Tip Top fourth.

New Zealand-owned chocolate company Whittaker's ranked fifth - its first appearance on the list.

A public backlash last year forced Cadbury to back down on a decision to use palm oil in its chocolate. It ranked 36th this year.

Company spokesperson, Daniel Ellis, says it's not suprised it lost the top spot after the changes last year, but it's working on rebuilding customers' trust.

The annual survey questioned 500 respondents, and ranked Kiwibank, Visa, Vodafone and Air New Zealand as the most trusted brands in their categories.

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