The Hershey Company announced Wednesday it will return to traditional recipes for its entire Reese’s product line beginning in 2027, following public backlash from the candy brand’s founding family.
While the iconic Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups have maintained their original milk chocolate and peanut butter formula, certain seasonal items like miniature Easter eggs currently use a coating with reduced chocolate content.
The Pennsylvania-based confectionery giant confirmed it will restore these items to “their classic milk chocolate and dark chocolate recipes” within three years.
Additional improvements planned for next year include switching to natural colorings across product lines and upgrading Kit-Kat’s formula for enhanced creaminess. The company also announced a 25% boost in research and development spending.
“Hershey is committed to making products consumers love and that means continually reviewing our recipes to meet evolving tastes and preferences,” company representatives stated.
The controversy erupted when Brad Reese, whose grandfather created the beloved peanut butter cups, published a scathing Valentine’s Day letter targeting Hershey’s brand management team.
“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 his LinkedIn post.
Company officials defended previous recipe modifications as responses to consumer innovation demands, though rising cocoa costs have prompted chocolate manufacturers industrywide to explore reduced-chocolate alternatives.
The Associated Press attempted to reach Brad Reese for additional commentary Wednesday.
Brad Reese descends from H.B. Reese, who worked at Hershey for two years before establishing his independent confectionery business in 1919. H.B. Reese developed the famous peanut butter cups in 1928, and his six children later sold the family enterprise to Hershey in 1963.
