Overview
- Brad Reese, grandson of H. B. Reese, went public on Feb. 14 alleging Hershey has replaced milk chocolate and peanut butter in some Reese’s items with compound coatings and peanut‑butter‑style crèmes, calling certain new products “not edible.”
- Hershey told NBC News the iconic Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups use the same recipe, and confirmed Valentine’s Mini Hearts use a chocolate‑flavored coating that cannot be labeled milk chocolate under federal standards.
- Packaging reviewed in recent coverage shows some seasonal or limited Reese’s products listing chocolate‑flavored coatings and peanut‑butter‑style crème, while the flagship cups still list milk chocolate and peanuts as the first ingredients.
- FDA definitions govern when “milk chocolate” can appear on labels, leading companies to use terms like “chocolate candy” or “crème” when formulations do not meet required thresholds.
- The clash comes during cocoa market volatility and cost pressures that have pushed confectioners to test formulations, yet there is no verified public evidence that the main Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups have been reformulated.