FOOD

Hershey to Buy Leaf Candy From Finnish Parent: The deal for Leaf Inc.’s North American candy business is valued at $440 million in cash and royalties. The acquisition would help Hershey Foods Corp. expand beyond chocolates with such goodies as Jolly Rancher and Good & Plenty. In return, Leaf’s parent company, Finnish food maker Huhtamaki Oy, would buy Hershey’s European candy-making operations for $110 million. Hershey, though, would still sell some of its candies in Europe. Leaf’s sales have fallen as it couldn’t capitalize on well-known candies including Milk Duds, Heath bars and Chuckles. That’s something Hershey could change by applying the same marketing expertise that made it the nation’s top candy maker. Shares in the Hershey, Pa.-based confectioner fell 25 cents to $48.625 on the New York Stock Exchange.