Reese's will shift back to classic recipe after backlash, Hershey says
FILE - Person's hand holding Reese's Peanut Butter Cups above a bucket of Halloween candy, Lafayette, California, Nov. 3, 2025. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)
Hershey said it would be shifting back to its classic Reese’s recipe after the grandson of the candy’s founder criticized the company for switching to cheaper ingredients.
Dig deeper:
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups have always been made with real milk chocolate or dark chocolate and peanut butter.
But a small portion of Hershey’s and Reese’s products, like mini Easter eggs, are now made with a coating that contains less chocolate.
What they're saying:
Back in February, Brad Reese said he threw out a bag of Reese’s Mini Hearts, a special Valentine’s Day release, because "it was not edible."
"How does The Hershey Co. continue to position Reese’s as its flagship brand, a symbol of trust, quality and leadership, while quietly replacing the very ingredients (Milk Chocolate + Peanut Butter) that built Reese’s trust in the first place?" Reese wrote in the letter posted to his LinkedIn profile.
Big picture view:
Hershey acknowledged some recipe changes but said it was trying to meet consumer demand for innovation.
High cocoa prices also have led Hershey and other manufacturers to experiment with using less chocolate in recent years.
The Hershey, Pennsylvania-based company said it would also be making other changes to its sweets portfolio in 2027, including transitioning to natural colors and enhancing Kit-Kat’s recipe to make it creamier.
The company said it also plans to increase its research and development funding by 25%.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from The Associated Press and previous reporting by LiveNOW from FOX.