Hershey blasted by Reese’s family over core ingredient changes

Hershey facing criticism from Reese family

• Reese family member accuses Hershey of lowering core product quality
• Brad Reese claims formulations replaced milk chocolate and real peanut butter
• Open letter argues changes threaten brand heritage and consumer trust foundations
• Criticism pressures Hershey to address transparency concerns amid evolving brand strategy
• Debate highlights tension between cost efficiencies and protecting long‑held product identity

The Hershey Company has come under fire for the quality of its ingredients.

But what’s really gotten people talking is the source of the complaint.

Brad Reese, grandson of Reese’s founder Harry Burnett Reese, has publicly accused the confectionery giant of switching out essential ingredients in Reese’s products, which are now owned by Hershey.

Brad Reese, aired his grievances in an open letter to the manager of corporate brand and editorial at The Hershey Company, Todd Scott.

The letter, published on LinkedIn, opens with the words, “Todd, as someone who has spent his career shaping narratives, elevating reputations and stewarding brand meaning, you understand better than most that a story only works when it is anchored in truth.”

He goes on to say his grandfather built Reese’s on “a simple, enduring architecture” of milk chocolate and peanut butter, but that that identity is being “rewritten by formulation decisions that replace milk chocolate with compound coatings and peanut butter with peanut‑butter‑style crèmes across multiple Reese’s products”.

The scathing attack continues with the question, “how does The Hershey Company 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?”

Moreover he argues the move isn’t a result of supply chain issues, but of “brand governance”. “It’s about whether The Hershey Company‘s corporate narrative is allowed to drift away from Reese’s product reality.”

He finishes by accusing the American multinational of putting “Reese’s and the legacy behind it, at risk”.

Hershey’s reputation

For Hershey, the criticism lands at a delicate moment.

The confectionery giant has spent the past several years positioning Reese’s as both a cultural icon and a commercial engine, consistently touting the brand as the cornerstone of its portfolio.

To have a member of the Reese family publicly question that narrative doesn’t just spark a debate about ingredients, it puts pressure on Hershey’s broader brand strategy.

The Hershey Company has yet to respond to request for comment.