Hershey’s Promises to Use Only Real Chocolate After Backlash
The New York Times • • business
Key Points:
- Brad Reese, grandson of the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup inventor, has publicly criticized Hershey for replacing real milk chocolate in some Reese’s products with a chocolate-flavored substitute.
- Hershey maintains that its classic peanut butter cups still contain real milk chocolate, but acknowledges that certain other candies used the substitute ingredient.
- The company announced plans to revert to using classic milk and dark chocolate recipes in all products by 2027, reversing earlier reformulations made to cut costs amid rising cocoa prices.
- Reese criticized the timeline, calling the move a public relations stunt and demanding faster action to restore the original recipes.
- Hershey responded that product changes require time to implement, including adjustments to formulation, packaging, and supply chains, with changes targeted to begin in 2027.
