Grandson of Reese’s founder criticizes Hershey for alleged ingredient manipulation
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The grandson of the man who invented Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup is publicly criticizing the Hershey Company, accusing the candy giant of quietly changing the recipe for some products under the popular brand.
Brad Reese, the grandson of founder HB Reese — whose company merged with Hershey in the 1960s — published an open letter on LinkedIn Saturday saying Hershey has replaced traditional ingredients like milk chocolate and peanut butter with lower-cost substitutes for parts of the Reese’s product line.
“My grandfather built Reese’s on a simple, lasting recipe: milk chocolate + peanut butter,” writes Brad Reese. “But today, Reese’s identity is being rewritten, not by storytellers, but by design decisions that transform milk chocolate into peanut butter and peanut butter-style boxes in many of Reese’s products.”
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Brad Reese, the grandson of Reese’s founder HB Reese, announced the Hershey Company in an open letter on Saturday. (Arne Dedert / photo alliance via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Brad Reese told FOX Business that he recently bought Reese’s Unwrapped Chocolate Peanut Butter Creme Mini Hearts candies and immediately noticed the difference.
“I went to buy a bag, I took a few bags, and I had to throw the bag in the trash,” said Reese. “… I couldn’t eat it. It was inedible, and I looked at the package … and there was no milk chocolate, no peanut butter – it was all vegetable oil and fat.”
He also said that products like Reese’s Take 5 and Fast Break are no longer covered in milk chocolate, and he suspected that in some parts of Europe, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups no longer contain milk chocolate.
Brad Reese says the alleged recipe changes undermine the legacy and integrity of the product his grandfather created.
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Reese says the changes undermine his grandfather’s legacy. (Lindsey Nicholson/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images/Getty Images)
“I can’t continue to represent Reese’s grandson when the product is complete,” Brad Reese told FOX Business. “You don’t know how bad it is.”
Hershey brushed off the criticism, maintaining that its flagship product remains unchanged.
“Our Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are made the same way they’ve always been made; we start by roasting fresh peanuts to make our unique, one-of-a-kind peanut butter that’s combined with milk chocolate,” The Hershey Company told FOX Business via email.
However, Hershey has admitted to tweaking the recipes as it expands the product into new shapes and variations.
“We are making product recipe adjustments that allow us to create new shapes, sizes and new ingredients that Reese’s fans have come to love and request, while always protecting the essence of what makes Reese unique and special: the perfect combination of chocolate and peanut butter,” the company said.
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Hershey pushed back, insisting that “Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are made the same way they’ve always been made; they start by roasting fresh peanuts to make our unique, one-of-a-kind peanut butter blend with milk chocolate.” (Ryan Collerd/Bloomberg via Getty Images/Getty Images)
The dispute comes as the wider chocolate industry faces significant cost pressures.
In the past two years, several chocolate makers have adjusted their recipes after cocoa prices hit a record high by late 2024, Reuters reported.
Last July, Hershey reportedly announced price increases across its candy portfolio, citing “unprecedented” increases in cocoa costs.
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Since then, cocoa prices have declined, driven by weak demand and improving supply conditions, according to Reuters.
