Zurich, Sept. 4 (Reuters): Swiss chocolate maker Lindt & Sprungli is considering buying Campbell Soup Co’s Godiva Chocolatier brand, its chief executive told the Financial Times Deutschland newspaper.

“It is my duty towards the shareholders to analyse every potential acquisition,” chief executive Ernst Tanner said in an interview published today.

“It is a question of whether an acquisition would bring Lindt closer to its aim of becoming an even bigger global producer of premium chocolate,” he added. “We have to do this in the case of Godiva as well. Then we will make a decision,” Tanner said.

Campbell said in August it was exploring alternatives for Godiva, including a sale, saying the premium chocolate business did not fit with its focus on simple meals. Godiva, originally a Belgian chocolate-maker, could attract a price of more than $1 billion, analysts say.