Discover what’s trending on FoxBusiness.com.
The descendant of the individual who conceived the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup is openly faulting The Hershey Company, alleging the confectionery behemoth is subtly modifying the formula of specific products associated with the renowned brand.
Brad Reese, grandson of founder H.B. Reese – whose enterprise amalgamated with Hershey during the 1960s – issued a public missive on LinkedIn Saturday, contending that Hershey has substituted customary components such as milk chocolate and peanut butter with more economical replacements within certain segments of the Reese’s product line.
“My grandfather built Reese’s on a straightforward, enduring framework: milk chocolate + peanut butter,” Brad Reese articulated. “But today, Reese’s identity is being re-envisioned, not by narrators, but by formulation choices that exchange milk chocolate with compound coatings and peanut butter with peanut‑butter‑style crèmes across numerous Reese’s offerings.”
CONFECTIONERY BARS WITHDRAWN FROM RETAILERS NATIONWIDE DUE TO SALMONELLA FEARS
Brad Reese, grandson of Reese’s originator H.B. Reese, voiced his concerns regarding The Hershey Company in a public statement Saturday. (Arne Dedert/picture alliance via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Brad Reese informed FOX Business that he recently acquired Reese’s Unwrapped Chocolate Peanut Butter Creme Mini Hearts confections and immediately perceived a distinction.
“I went and obtained a package, and after a few bites, I had to discard the entire bag,” Reese stated. “… I found it inedible. It was not palatable, and upon examining the packaging … there was no milk chocolate, no peanut butter — it was entirely composed of vegetable oils and fats.”
He further asserted that items such as Reese’s Take 5 and Fast Break are no longer enrobed in milk chocolate, and claimed that in parts of Europe, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups no longer comprise milk chocolate.
Brad Reese maintains that the alleged alterations to the recipes compromise the heritage and integrity of the label his grandfather established.
HERSHEY INCREASING CHOCOLATE PRICES BY DOUBLE-DIGITS AS COCOA EXPENDITURES SURGE: REPORT
Reese contends that the modifications undermine his grandfather’s legacy. (Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images / Getty Images)
“I cannot continue to represent myself as the grandson of Reese’s when the merchandise is complete rubbish,” Brad Reese expressed to FOX Business. “You have no comprehension of how devastating this is.”
Hershey refuted the critique, affirming that its flagship product remains unaltered.
“Our celebrated Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are produced precisely as they always have been; commencing with the roasting of fresh peanuts to craft our distinctive, singular peanut butter which is subsequently combined with milk chocolate,” The Hershey Company communicated to FOX Business in an electronic mail.
Nevertheless, Hershey acknowledged that it has adjusted formulas as it broadens the brand into novel forms and varieties.
“We implement product formula adjustments that enable us to create new shapes, sizes, and innovations that Reese’s aficionados have grown to adore and request, all while perpetually safeguarding the fundamental essence that renders Reese’s unique and exceptional: the impeccable fusion of chocolate and peanut butter,” the corporation stated.
U.S. MERCHANTS REDUCING COSTS ON HERSHEY’S CONFECTIONS PRIOR TO HALLOWEEN: REPORT
Hershey pushed back, insisting their “iconic Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are made the same way they always have been; starting with roasting fresh peanuts to make our unique, one-of-a-kind peanut butter that is then combined with milk chocolate.” (Ryan Collerd/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The contention emerges as the wider chocolate sector has encountered intense cost pressures.
Throughout the previous two years, numerous chocolate manufacturers have modified their recipes after cocoa prices ascended to an unprecedented peak in late 2024, Reuters documented.
Last July, Hershey reportedly declared price hikes across its confectionery assortment, attributing an “unparalleled” surge in cocoa expenditures.
ACCESS FOX BUSINESS ON THE GO BY TAPPING HERE
Since that period, cocoa costs have decreased, propelled by diminishing demand and ameliorating supply circumstances, according to Reuters.