Reese's Grandson Alleges Hershey Replaced Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter; Hershey Denies

Family Charge Questions Recipe Integrity at Reese’s

Brad Reese, the grandson of H.B. Reese, is publicly accusing The Hershey Company of quietly altering the core formulations of Reese’s products, saying recent items replace milk chocolate and peanut butter with lower‑cost substitutes. In an open letter posted on LinkedIn on Feb. 18, he says his grandfather built Reese’s on a simple “milk chocolate + peanut butter” architecture and that modern “formulation decisions” now favour compound coatings and peanut‑butter‑style crèmes. Reese says he recently bought a bag of Reese’s Unwrapped Chocolate Peanut Butter Creme Mini Hearts, found them “not edible,” and noted the ingredient list names vegetable oils and fats instead of milk chocolate and peanut butter.

Reese expands his criticism to other items in the portfolio, alleging that products including Reese’s Take 5 and Fast Break no longer feature milk chocolate coatings and that some Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups in parts of Europe lack milk chocolate. He tells FOX Business the Mini Hearts contain “no milk chocolate” and “no peanut butter” and are “all vegetable oils and fats,” adding he feels “devastating” about what he calls a betrayal of his grandfather’s legacy. The letter and subsequent interview frame his complaint as both a quality concern and a defense of brand heritage.

Hershey pushes back, telling FOX Business that its iconic Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are “made the same way they always have been,” beginning with roasting fresh peanuts to make its peanut butter, which it says is combined with milk chocolate. The company acknowledges it makes recipe adjustments to enable new shapes, sizes and innovations that consumers request, but disputes the claim that core products have been broadly reformulated. The row highlights a growing clash between legacy family custodians and large consumer goods companies over product identity.

Media Attention and Industry Implications

The dispute draws headlines on FOX Business and other outlets, underscoring reputational risks for a brand that markets itself on tradition and taste. Public criticism from a family descendant amplifies scrutiny of ingredient decisions in the confectionery sector.

Heritage and Corporate Stewardship

The complaint references the 1960s merger that brought H.B. Reese’s business into Hershey, and frames the debate as one about stewardship of a storied brand. For Hershey, the episode raises questions about balancing innovation, cost and consumer expectations.