Nearly two months after the grandson of H.B. Reese accused Hershey of quietly changing the formula of various Reese’s products, the company announced it would bring “a small portion” of the brand's candies back with their classic milk and dark chocolate recipes.
The Hershey Company confirmed the change during its 2026 Investor Day event on March 31, and in a statement to USA TODAY on April 2.
Stacy Taffet, chief growth officer for the Hershey Company, said at the March 31 event that the company is enhancing its Kit Kat recipe to give customers a “creamier chocolate," and "transitioning our sweets portfolio to colors from natural sources, and ensuring that all Hershey’s and Reese’s offerings are consistent with their brand’s classic milk and dark chocolate recipes.”
In its statement to USA TODAY, the company said these changes should go into effect in 2027, adding that its core recipes and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups have not changed.
The move comes after Brad Reese, grandson of Reese’s candy founder H. B. Reese, penned an open letter to Hershey in a LinkedIn post on Feb. 14, in which he said his grandfather created the brand using real milk chocolate and peanut butter, something he alleges the chocolate company changed sometime after buying the Reese’s brand in the 1960s.
