Reese’s Heir Slams Hershey for Ingredient Changes, Citing Brand Damage
The legacy of one of America’s most beloved candies is at the centre of a confectionery controversy. Brad Reese, grandson of H.B. Reese, the visionary behind Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, has publicly voiced his dismay and criticism towards The Hershey Co. He alleges that the iconic confectionery giant has tarnished the revered Reese’s brand by opting for less expensive ingredients in a range of its popular products.
Hershey has, in turn, acknowledged making certain recipe adjustments. However, the company maintains that these changes are a direct response to evolving consumer preferences and a drive for innovation. This situation also unfolds against a backdrop of escalating cocoa prices in recent years, which has compelled many candy manufacturers, including Hershey, to explore ways to reduce their reliance on costly chocolate content.
In a strongly worded letter dated February 14th and addressed to Hershey’s corporate brand manager, the 70-year-old Brad Reese detailed his concerns. He asserted that the company has, in several Reese’s offerings, substituted traditional milk chocolate with what he describes as “compound coatings” and replaced genuine peanut butter with a “peanut crème.”
“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 questioned in the letter, which he later shared on his LinkedIn profile.
A Legacy Rooted in Hershey’s Soil
The lineage of Brad Reese is deeply intertwined with the history of Hershey itself. His grandfather, H.B. Reese, spent a formative period of two years working at Hershey before embarking on his own entrepreneurial journey in 1919. It was in 1928 that H.B. Reese achieved his confectionery breakthrough, inventing the now-legendary Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. The Reese family legacy continued, with H.B.’s six sons eventually selling their thriving candy company to Hershey in 1963, a move that consolidated the two confectionery powerhouses.
Hershey, in its defence, stated on Wednesday that the classic Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups remain true to their original formulation. The company insists these iconic treats are still crafted using authentic milk chocolate and genuine peanut butter, which Hershey produces in-house from roasted peanuts and a select few other ingredients, including sugar and salt. However, Hershey conceded that ingredient variations do exist across the broader Reese’s product line.
“As we’ve grown and expanded the Reese’s product line, we make product recipe adjustments that allow us to make new shapes, sizes and innovations that Reese’s fans have come to love and ask for, while always protecting the essence of what makes Reese’s unique and special: the perfect combination of chocolate and peanut butter,” a company spokesperson explained.
Personal Disappointment and Regulatory Scrutiny
For Brad Reese, however, these adjustments have gone too far. He recounted a personal experience of discarding a bag of Reese’s Mini Hearts, a product introduced for Valentine’s Day. He noted that the packaging for these heart-shaped candies explicitly states they are made from “chocolate candy and peanut butter crème,” a departure from the expected milk chocolate and peanut butter.
“It was not edible,” Reese stated bluntly in an interview with The Associated Press. “You have to understand. I used to eat a Reese’s product every day. This is very devastating for me.”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) imposes stringent regulations on the ingredients and labelling of chocolate products. To be legally classified as “milk chocolate,” a product must contain a minimum of 10% chocolate liquor – a paste derived from ground cocoa beans. Furthermore, it must include at least 12% milk solids and 3.39% milk fat.
Manufacturers can navigate these regulations by employing alternative terminology on their packaging. For instance, Hershey’s Mr. Goodbar is labelled as “chocolate candy” rather than “milk chocolate.”
Reese further elaborated on the alleged recipe changes, pointing to several other Reese’s products. He claimed that Reese’s Take5 and Fast Break bars, which were once coated in milk chocolate, no longer are. He also highlighted the evolution of White Reese’s, noting that while they were initially made with white chocolate in the early 2000s, they are now produced using a white creme.
The divergence in formulations extends beyond U.S. borders. Reese indicated that Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups available in Europe, the United Kingdom, and Ireland differ from their American counterparts. He cited an example from a British online supermarket website, where the candy was advertised with a “milk chocolate-flavoured coating and peanut butter crème.”
Hershey’s Stance and Founder’s Philosophy
In a conference call with investors last year, Hershey’s Chief Financial Officer, Steven Voskuil, acknowledged that the company had indeed implemented some formula modifications. While he refrained from specifying which products were affected, Voskuil assured investors that Hershey had been meticulous in preserving the “taste profile and the specialness of our iconic brands.”
“I would say in all the changes that we’ve made thus far, there has been no consumer impact whatsoever,” Voskuil stated. “As you can imagine, even on the smallest brand in the portfolio, if we were to make a change, there’s extensive consumer testing.”
However, Brad Reese counters this assertion, reporting that he frequently encounters individuals who express the sentiment that Reese’s products no longer taste as good as they once did. He urged the Pennsylvania-based company to consider the wisdom of its founder, Milton Hershey, who famously espoused the principle: “Give them quality, that’s the best advertising.”
“I absolutely believe in innovation, but my preference is innovation with quality,” Reese concluded, advocating for a commitment to excellence alongside product development.
