-By Andrew McMains

NEW YORK Cadbury Adams USA, the confectionery arm of Cadbury Schweppes Americas, is talking to consultants about its media business in the U.S and Canada, sources said.

Several consultants have submitted proposals to evaluate the performance of Cadbury Adams' media agencies and, if deemed necessary, conduct a review, per sources. The Parsippany, N.J-based company is expected to hire a consultant in the next few weeks.

In the U.S., the traditional media incumbent is WPP Group's Mediaedge:cia in New York; the shop's MEC Interaction unit here handles online media duties. In Canada, the incumbent is M2 Universal in Toronto. Total media spending for the two regions is estimated at $100 million.

The client's procurement department is said to be leading the consultancy search. The names of the consultants could not be ascertained and the client could not immediately be reached for comment.

Major media outlays in the U.S. alone last year for Cadbury Adams brands Dentyne, Trident and Stride were between $25-30 million for each brand, according to Nielsen Monitor-Plus. Those totals don't include online spending. (In the U.S., Cadbury Adams' lead creative agency is WPP's JWT in New York.)