Overview
- Brad Reese published an open letter alleging some Reese’s items now use compound coatings and peanut‑butter‑style crèmes instead of milk chocolate and peanut butter.
- Hershey says original Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups remain unchanged and describes any recipe adjustments as limited to new shapes, sizes, or limited‑time variations.
- Reese cites a recent seasonal purchase—Unwrapped Chocolate Peanut Butter Creme Mini Hearts—whose package lists “chocolate candy” and “peanut butter crème,” which do not meet milk‑chocolate labeling standards.
- Regulatory definitions explain why products not meeting milk‑chocolate thresholds use terms like “chocolate candy,” and a UK Ocado listing describes a Reese’s item as “milk chocolate‑flavored coating and peanut butter crème.”
- Hershey’s CFO previously acknowledged testing and some portfolio changes in 2025, while social media attention, a reported family rebuke, and a brief stock dip followed the latest allegations.