The grandson of the man who invented Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups claimed the candy has become inedible, accusing The Hershey Company of swapping real ingredients for cheap substitutes.

An Open Letter to Todd Scott, Manager, Corporate Brand & Editorial at The Hershey Company Todd, As someone who has spent his career shaping narratives, elevating reputations and stewarding brand meaning, you understand better than most that a story only works when it is anchored in truth. That’s why I’m writing to you publicly today, Saturday, February 14, 2026 (Valentine's Day). My grandfather, H. B. REESE (Who Invented REESE'S), built REESE’S on a simple, enduring architecture: Milk Chocolate + Peanut Butter. Not a flavor idea. Not a marketing construct. A real, tangible product identity that consumers have trusted for a century. But today, REESE'S identity is being rewritten, not by storytellers, but by formulation decisions that replace Milk Chocolate with compound coatings and Peanut Butter with peanut‑butter‑style crèmes across multiple REESE’S products. And here’s where your role, Todd, becomes central. You lead the corporate brand and editorial strategy for The Hershey Company. You shape the story the world hears. You are responsible for ensuring that what The Hershey Company says aligns with what The Hershey Company does. So, I have to ask: How does The Hershey Company 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? This isn’t a supply chain question. It’s a brand governance question. It’s about whether The Hershey Company's corporate narrative is allowed to drift away from REESE'S product reality. It’s about whether consumers are being asked to believe a story that no longer matches what’s inside the REESE'S orange wrapper. It’s about whether REESE'S, the world’s No. 1 chocolate brand, is being protected or diluted. Todd, you’ve built a career on the belief that "a good story is at the heart of any conversation." I agree. But a good story requires honesty, transparency and respect for the audience (REESE'S consumers). Right now, the REESE’S story is diverging from what's inside REESE’S products. And that divergence puts REESE'S and the legacy behind it, at risk. As the grandson of the man who created REESE’S Peanut Butter Cups, I’m not asking for nostalgia. I’m asking for alignment. For truth in REESE'S brand stewardship. For a corporate narrative from The Hershey Company that reflects the REESE'S product consumers are actually receiving. Because if REESE’S is going to remain the emotional equity anchor of The Hershey Company, then the story cannot be stronger than the ingredients. Todd, you are uniquely positioned to bridge that gap. I hope you will. Brad Reese Protecting REESE’S Brand Integrity Grandson of H. B. REESE (Who Invented REESE'S) #Reeses #BrandStewardship #CorporateAccountability #IngredientIntegrity #ConsumerTrust #BrandGovernance #FoodTransparency #ReesesLegacy #HersheyCompany #TheHersheyCompany | 55 comments on LinkedIn

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“I went and bought a bag, and I took a couple bites, and I had to throw the bag in the garbage,” Reese told Fox Business. “I couldn’t eat it. It was not edible, and I looked at the packaging … and there was no milk chocolate, there was no peanut butter — it was all vegetable oils and fats.”

The 70-year-old Florida resident said he can no longer stand behind the family brand. “I can’t go on representing being the grandson of Reese’s when the product is total bunk,” Reese told the outlet. “You have no idea how devastating it is.” (RELATED: Iconic Chocolate Company Moves To Rid Products Of Artificial Dyes)

Reese wrote an open letter to The Hershey Company out of frustration, according to PennLive. His family sold the company to Hershey in 1963, but he has spent at least 20 years serving as an unofficial brand ambassador. “The point I’m trying to make is I understand the whole history of it, so I feel like I really do own Reese’s. I know I don’t have control, but I have a voice,” Reese told the outlet.

Brad Reese, the grandson of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups inventor H.B. Reese, has some harsh words for The Hershey Co. https://t.co/bAhke4XIwe

— FOX 4 NEWS (@FOX4) February 19, 2026

Hershey disputed the claims in a statement to CBS News, noting they occasionally make “product recipe adjustments” but insisting that “Reece’s Peanut Butter Cups are made the same way they always have been.”

“As we’ve grown and expanded the Reece’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: the perfect combination of chocolate and peanut butter,” the firm said.

During a 2025 investors’ call, Chief Financial Officer Steven Voskuil said there had been “no consumer impact whatsoever” from any formula changes, according to CBS News. Reese disagreed, telling the outlet that fans regularly tell him the candy no longer tastes the same.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires “milk chocolate” labels to contain at least 10% chocolate liquor, at least 12% milk solids and 3.39% milk fat. Companies can avoid these standards by using terms like “chocolate candy” on packaging.

Reese also claimed that Reese’s candy serves as The Hershey Company’s flagship product.

The Daily Caller reached out to The Hershey Company for comment.

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