The grandson of the inventor of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups has accused the company’s owner, Hershey Co., of cheaping out. Brad Reese, 70, said in a letter that the company was damaging the brand’s reputation for quality by replacing key ingredients with alternatives on some products. “How does The Hershey Co. continue to position Reese’s as its flagship brand, a symbol of trust, quality and leadership, while quietly replacing the very ingredients (Milk Chocolate + Peanut Butter) that built Reese’s trust in the first place?” Reese asked. He told the Associated Press he’d had to throw out a bag of Reese’s Mini Hearts. “It was not edible,” he said, “You have to understand. I used to eat a Reese’s product every day. This is very devastating for me.” Hershey acknowledged on Wednesday that it had been experimenting with alternatives on some products but claimed it was making the peanut butter cups the same way it always had. “As we’ve grown and expanded the Reese’s product line, we make product recipe adjustments that allow us to make new shapes, sizes and innovations that Reese’s fans have come to love and ask for, while always protecting the essence of what makes Reese’s unique and special,” Hershey said.
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