The convoluted history of attempted deals in the candy industry are enough to make an Oompa-Loompa’s head spin, but Mars’ $23 billion takeover of Wrigley may force rivals to reassess their options for consolidation, Bill Wrigley Jr said on Monday.

(The deal also proved that Warren Buffett “chews gum and identifies value at the same time,” as the FT’s Alphaville blog noted.)

“There have been lots of rumors in the confectionary space over the past few years, and very recently, and no one can say exactly what’s going to happen … but I think it’s likely that we’ll see more consolidation,” Wrigley said on a conference call. “The folks at Hershey, the folks at Cadbury, the folks maybe at Nestle have to think about what they want to do in this space and will evaluate their opportunities.”

The deal between Mars, the world’s biggest chocolate maker, and Wrigley, the biggest gum maker, will push Cadbury off the world’s top spot in confectionery just as the London-based group is planning a demerger of its soft drinks business. Analysts predicted that the Mars-Wrigley deal will prompt Cadbury to re-start talks with the U.S.’s biggest chocolate maker Hershey Co.

Previously in the candy wars, Nestle — which, by the way, owns the Willy Wonka candy brand — combined with Cadbury for a bid for Hershey. Wrigley also made a run. The controlling Hershey Trust pushed for a sale, only to pull back later after pressure from community groups at its headquarters in Pennsylvania.

And finally, if Cadbury cannot hammer out a Hershey deal, it might face a bid itself from the likes of Kraft Foods Inc as North America’s biggest food group could be interested in expanding its European Suchard chocolate unit.

Representatives of the Lollypop Guild were not immediately available for comment.

Further reading:

Mars and Buffett to buy Wrigley for $23 billion

Cadbury eyes Hershey as Mars chews up Wrigley

Photo: Yahoo Movies/Warner Home Video