There’s a bitter taste in the chocolate world, and this time it’s not coming from the cocoa itself. Brad Reese, grandson of the inventor of the iconic Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, is publicly calling out Hershey for quietly altering ingredients in some of its classic treats. His open letter, posted on LinkedIn and highlighted in reporting from NBC News, accuses the company of replacing the very components that built Reese’s trust in the first place.
This controversy arrives at a moment when climate change is making chocolate harder to grow, especially in West Africa, where extreme weather has devastated cocoa crops. As a result, cocoa prices have skyrocketed over the past two years, pushing many chocolatiers to cut cocoa content, swap in cheaper vegetable oils, and increase sugar to offset costs.
Reese says he’s already seeing the effects. He told the AP he recently threw out a bag of Reese’s Valentine’s Day mini hearts after noticing the packaging described them as being made with “peanut butter cream” and covered in “chocolate candy.” Under FDA rules, products without real cocoa cannot legally be labeled chocolate, which is why many packages now use terms like chocolate flavor, chocolate taste, or chocolatey.
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Food science expert Rich Hartell explains that cocoa butter is the most expensive component in chocolate. When prices surge, manufacturers often replace it with cheaper fats or reduce cocoa content altogether. Consumers have begun to notice the difference, with many saying the chocolate they grew up with simply doesn’t taste the same.
HERSHEY’S RESPONSE Hershey responded to Reese’s criticism with a statement saying, in part: “Our iconic Reese’s peanut butter cups are made the same way they always have been, starting with roasting fresh peanuts to make our unique one‑of‑a‑kind peanut butter that is then combined with milk chocolate.” The company added that it does make recipe adjustments for new products and innovations, though it did not directly address the Valentine’s mini hearts Reese flagged.
Retail sales for chocolate rose in 2025, but largely due to price increases rather than higher demand. The number of individual chocolate products purchased actually declined, suggesting consumers are feeling the shift in both taste and cost.
As climate pressures reshape the cocoa industry, ingredient swaps may become more common. But Brad Reese is making it clear he won’t stay quiet while the legacy of his family’s creation changes without transparency.
Share your thoughts below. Have you noticed chocolate tasting different lately, even the size?
