Is Hershey’s Real Chocolate? Why Yes & Why Not

There are a lot of risen questions about Hershey’s products, in particular, the chocolate they use for it. Hershey’s is one of the most popular chocolate manufacturers across the US, but their chocolate has regularly been debated on the basis of its authenticity. So, is Hershey’s chocolate real, and what are the proofs for that? 

Hershey’s is real chocolate. They use about 30% of cocoa in chocolate. Since the FDA considers milk chocolate everything that contains 10% of cocoa, Hershey’s chocolate is real. However, they have had some changes in terms of used cocoa, so now they are labeled as “chocolate candy”.

If you are one of those people who question the authenticity of Hershey’s chocolate, you have to read this article which explains the ingredients which are used in Hershey’s products. You will understand which products contain real chocolate and why is that the case. You will also learn about the level of healthiness in Hershey’s chocolate, so you will be able to decide whether these products are suitable for your diet. 

Is Hershey’s Considered Chocolate by FDA? 

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), every product that contains 10% pure cocoa is considered real chocolate, or milk chocolate. [1] In the case of Hershey’s, it is known that they use around 30% of pure cocoa in their classic Hershey’s milk chocolate bars, therefore, it can be said that their regular bars contain real chocolate. 

However, Hershey’s has had several changes in the recipes in recent years, so some of their products have reduced the amount of pure cocoa in them, or they have replaced it with just cocoa butter. To make it clear, cocoa butter is not the same as pure cocoa that is usually used for making chocolate, so these Hershey’s products, in particular, are basically not chocolate.

Due to this, Hershey’s had to label those products as “chocolate candy”, “chocolatey”, or “made with chocolate.” These labels indicate that these products are not made of real chocolate, so they cannot contain the chocolate ingredient in their labels. 

That is why it is important to acknowledge that while some products, like the regular Hershey’s bars, are real chocolate, others, especially the small ones, have just sprinkles of chocolate, meaning that they are basically not chocolate. 

What Is Hershey’s Chocolate Made Of? 

The main ingredients in Hershey’s chocolate are cocoa beans, sugar, milk, and cocoa butter. These ingredients are always present in Hershey’s products, however, the amount of each varies in every product recipe. This means that while some Hershey’s products contain a significant amount of cocoa beans, others contain only cocoa butter with a really small amount of cocoa beans. 

That is why every Hershey’s product has a similar taste, yet different in a unique way. In addition, an important detail in the process of making Hershey’s chocolate is the special method they use. Hershey’s pays particular attention to the roasting of the cocoa beans, so they would make a good texture for production. 

Namely, they blend their ingredients in a smooth mixture called chocolate crumb that is later processed and shaped in fine shapes of chocolate bars. What is more, Hershey claims that all of their products are natural, so adding this type of chocolate to your diet would be beneficial for your health. In addition, they have stated that they tend to select their ingredients from local regions and areas whenever it is possible.

How Much Real Chocolate Is In Hershey’s? 

The presence of real chocolate in Hershey’s products depends on the product itself. For instance, some Hershey’s chocolate bars contain 30% of cocoa, meaning that that is enough cocoa for Hershey’s product to gain the status of real chocolate. However, this mostly refers to the regular chocolate bars that are already labeled milk chocolate on their wrappings. 

Some Hershey’s products, on the other hand, contain only cocoa butter, which is not a significant amount for the products to be considered chocolate. Therefore, if you see a label that says “made with chocolate”, or “chocolate candy”, that means that those products are not made of real chocolate. These rules are initiated by the FDA, so Hershey’s labels its products according to their rules and regulations. 

Is Hershey’s Chocolate OK to Eat? 

In general, Hershey’s chocolate is regarded as healthy since it contains a significant amount of pure cocoa, and they do not blend it with huge amounts of sugar. However, when it comes to chocolate, it is sometimes really difficult to determine this type of food as healthy. How healthy your chocolate would be, depends on the amount you ingest on a daily basis. [2]

In other words, if you control your chocolate intake, you may consider Hershey’s a good addition to your balanced diet. They have a fine method for producing the chocolate, and the ingredients are all-natural, which indicates that this chocolate is healthy. Nonetheless, you should always check the labels of the chocolate, so you would see the ingredients and the amounts that have been used in the production.

Does Hershey’s Use Spoiled Milk? 

There are many assumptions that the milk that Hershey’s uses is spoiled due to the strange and unusual taste the chocolate has in general. However, that is not actually spoiled milk in question, but rather sour milk that Hershey’s decided to use in their process of making the chocolate. In other words, the milk is not spoiled but rather unique because it comes from local farms. 

Nonetheless, over the years, Hershey’s has made some changes in the recipes, so nowadays some products contain butyric acid instead of sour milk. The acid in question does not really make any particular changes in the taste of Hershey’s products, so it is hardly noticed by the consumers. 

Who Created Hershey’s Chocolate? 

Hershey Chocolate Company was first established in the 1880s, by Milton S. Hershey. He was the person who came first with the recipe of chocolate we nowadays eat. He was in the chocolate industry for a long time, and he has been a major contribution to chocolate quality and business during the 20th century.

However, a lot of recipes have had a lot of alternations in relation to ingredients, so the chocolate we eat today is quite different from the first versions. This is due to the fact that nowadays the ingredients that are used in Hershey’s products are obtained in a different way, so it is logical that the chocolate would have some variations in taste. 

As you could see, some of Hershey’s products can be considered real chocolate, while others might only have bits of chocolate. This is due to the amounts included in the chocolate products, so if you want some real chocolate, you would have to read the labels.