The Grandson of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Inventor Says the Candy Is Now ‘Not Edible.’ He Blames Hershey.
Brad Reese, 70, wrote an open letter accusing Hershey of replacing the milk chocolate and peanut butter with cheaper ingredients.
Brad Reese used to eat a Reese’s product every day. Not anymore. The 70-year-old grandson of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups inventor H.B. Reese wrote a scathing open letter to Hershey accusing the candy giant of replacing milk chocolate with compound coatings and peanut butter with peanut crème in multiple products. He recently threw out a bag of Reese’s Mini Hearts. “It was not edible,” he told the Associated Press.
Hershey insists the original Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups recipe hasn’t changed but acknowledged making adjustments for new shapes and sizes. High cocoa prices have pushed the company to use less chocolate. Brad Reese says products like Take5 and Fast Break bars no longer use milk chocolate, and European versions now contain “peanut butter crème” instead of real peanut butter.
The FDA has strict requirements for what can be called “milk chocolate.” Companies can sidestep those rules by using different wording—like “chocolate candy” instead.
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Brad Reese used to eat a Reese’s product every day. Not anymore. The 70-year-old grandson of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups inventor H.B. Reese wrote a scathing open letter to Hershey accusing the candy giant of replacing milk chocolate with compound coatings and peanut butter with peanut crème in multiple products. He recently threw out a bag of Reese’s Mini Hearts. “It was not edible,” he told the Associated Press.
Hershey insists the original Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups recipe hasn’t changed but acknowledged making adjustments for new shapes and sizes. High cocoa prices have pushed the company to use less chocolate. Brad Reese says products like Take5 and Fast Break bars no longer use milk chocolate, and European versions now contain “peanut butter crème” instead of real peanut butter.
The FDA has strict requirements for what can be called “milk chocolate.” Companies can sidestep those rules by using different wording—like “chocolate candy” instead.
Sign up for the Entrepreneur Daily newsletter to get the news and resources you need to know today to help you run your business better. Get it in your inbox.
