The grandson of the creator of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups has criticized The Hershey Co., alleging that the candy maker has compromised the quality of the Reese’s brand by substituting cheaper ingredients in many of its products. Hershey has admitted to making some alterations to recipes in response to consumer demand for innovation and rising cocoa prices in recent years.
Brad Reese, aged 70, raised concerns in a letter to Hershey’s corporate brand manager dated February 14, where he highlighted that several Reese’s products have seen a shift from milk chocolate to compound coatings and peanut butter to peanut creme. He questioned how Hershey can maintain Reese’s reputation as a flagship brand synonymous with trust, quality, and excellence while quietly replacing the original ingredients that established Reese’s credibility.
H.B. Reese, the grandfather of Brad Reese, developed Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups in 1928 after working at Hershey for two years before starting his own confectionery business in 1919. Hershey clarified that the classic Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups continue to be made with milk chocolate and self-produced peanut butter from roasted peanuts, sugar, and salt. However, Hershey acknowledged that some Reese’s variations may have different ingredients.
According to Hershey, adjustments in product recipes have been made to introduce new shapes, sizes, and innovations in the Reese’s lineup while preserving the iconic chocolate and peanut butter combination that consumers love. Brad Reese expressed disappointment with the changes, citing an instance where he found a bag of Reese’s Mini Hearts, a new Valentine’s Day release, to be inedible due to the use of “chocolate candy and peanut butter creme” instead of milk chocolate and peanut butter.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration enforces stringent regulations on chocolate ingredients and labeling, specifying minimum requirements for chocolate content to be classified as milk chocolate. Companies like Hershey can utilize alternative descriptions on packaging to comply with these regulations. Reese highlighted various alterations in recipes for Reese’s products over the years, including the coating of Take5 and Fast Break bars and the composition of White Reese’s.
While Hershey maintains that the European and U.K. versions of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups follow the same recipe as the U.S. version, labeling differences exist due to varying cocoa, milk solids, and milk fat percentage regulations. Hershey’s CFO, Steven Voskuil, assured investors that any formula changes were carefully executed to preserve brand integrity and taste profiles, emphasizing that consumer feedback was pivotal in the process.
Despite Hershey’s claims of maintaining product quality through innovations, Brad Reese and others have expressed dissatisfaction with the taste of Reese’s products compared to earlier versions. Reese emphasized the importance of upholding quality in line with Milton Hershey’s renowned quote, “Give them quality, that’s the best advertising,” underscoring the significance of innovation combined with product excellence.
