Europe’s largest food company, Nestlé, is no longer ignoring the predators surrounding chocolate and confectionery giant Cadbury and is ready to enter the fray, reports from Switzerland say.

In new developments to the Cadbury saga:

• Nestlé is weighing options about whether to mount a counter bid for Cadbury to those of Kraft Foods and potential ones from Hershey and Ferrero

• Insiders say Nestlé may decide not go ahead and the company itself is not commenting