Reese's Grandson Accuses Hershey Of Recipe Changes
Brad Reese says Hershey replaced milk chocolate and peanut butter in some Reese's products in a Feb. 14 viral letter; Hershey says core cups remain unchanged.
Overview
Brad Reese said in a Feb. 14 letter that Hershey replaced milk chocolate and peanut butter in multiple Reese's products, and his post went viral.
Reese, 70, said the changes make some candies inedible and undermine his grandfather H.B. Reese's 1928 invention, which his family sold to Hershey in 1963.
Hershey said it makes 'product recipe adjustments' but insisted Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are made the same way, and CFO Steven Voskuil told investors in 2025 there was 'no consumer impact'.
UN Trade and Development said cocoa climbed 136% between July 2022 and February 2024, and Reuters reported prices later plunged by 70% as makers pursued chocolate alternatives.
Reese said no one from Hershey has called him after his LinkedIn post, and Hershey said labels vary in the EU and U.K. because those markets require higher cocoa, milk solids and milk fats.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this as a human-interest drama by foregrounding the grandson's emotional testimony (source content like “horrified” and “heartbroken”), prioritizing family legacy and viral reaction, and placing corporate rebuttals and regulatory context later—emphasizing outrage and nostalgia over detailed manufacturing or market explanations.
Sources (3)
FAQ
Brad Reese accused Hershey of replacing milk chocolate with compound coatings and peanut butter with peanut-butter-style crèmes in products like Reese’s Take 5, Fast Break, and some Peanut Butter Cups, especially in Europe.[1]
Hershey stated that its iconic Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are made the same way as always with fresh roasted peanuts and milk chocolate, though it acknowledged recipe adjustments for new shapes, sizes, and innovations.[1]
Brad Reese is the 70-year-old grandson of H.B. Reese, who invented Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in 1928; his family sold the brand to Hershey in 1963.[1]
Hershey has made recipe adjustments amid soaring cocoa costs, with prices climbing 136% from July 2022 to February 2024, and later plunging as makers explored chocolate alternatives; changes also accommodate EU/U.K. labeling requirements for higher cocoa and milk solids.[1]
Brad Reese stated that no one from Hershey has called him following his February 14 LinkedIn post.[1]
History
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