Hershey Swaps Reese's Ingredients, Sparking Family Feud

Candy giant says changes will impact less than 3% of Reese's products, but critic Brad Reese remains skeptical.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 1:30pm

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Hershey is returning its products to 'classic milk and dark chocolate recipes,' replacing a compound chocolate coating after facing backlash from Brad Reese, whose grandfather invented the famous Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. The company says the changes will impact less than 3% of Reese's products, but Reese remains unconvinced, accusing Hershey of 'lowering the quality of ingredients' and 'trying to minimize' the impact.

Why it matters

The ingredient changes at Hershey highlight the delicate balance between maintaining brand identity and evolving to meet consumer preferences. The public feud with Brad Reese also underscores the challenges large corporations can face when making changes that impact beloved legacy products.

The details

Hershey's new leadership team, led by CEO Kirk Tanner, decided to swap out certain ingredients after a 'deep dive' review of the company's portfolio. The changes will impact products like Reese's Fast Break candy bars and Reese's mini cups, but the original Hershey's chocolate bar and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups will remain unchanged. Hershey says it has ramped up R&D investments by 25% to continually review recipes and meet evolving consumer tastes.

  • Hershey's new CEO Kirk Tanner took the helm last summer.
  • The ingredient changes are expected to be completed by 2027.

The players

Hershey

A major American chocolate and confectionery company.

Kirk Tanner

The CEO of Hershey who took over last summer and initiated the review of the company's product portfolio.

Brad Reese

A retiree living in West Palm Beach, Florida and a member of the Reese family, whose grandfather HB Reese invented the famous Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

HB Reese

The inventor of the famous Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

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What they’re saying

“Right when I started with the company, we did a deep dive across our portfolio. We're going to make some small investments to really align the portfolio to what the brand stands for.”

— Kirk Tanner, CEO, Hershey

“I can't just let it go. They're lowering the quality of ingredients, charging the same price and probably giving you a smaller product size. I'm really embarrassed as a member of the Reese family.”

— Brad Reese

“They're untrustworthy. I don't believe them for a minute. They're going to try to milk this compound they're using as long as they can. Saying it only affects 3% of their portfolio, that's total bunk. They're trying to minimize and they're trying to change the narrative.”

— Brad Reese

What’s next

Hershey says the ingredient changes are expected to be completed by 2027, as the company continues to review its portfolio and invest in R&D to meet evolving consumer preferences.

The takeaway

Hershey's decision to swap out ingredients in some of its Reese's products highlights the delicate balance large corporations must strike between maintaining brand identity and adapting to changing consumer tastes. The public feud with Brad Reese underscores the challenges companies can face when making changes to beloved legacy products.