Hershey's is NO LONGER "Chocolate"!!!! It's FAKE Chocolate

atprm · 09-19-2008, 09:14 PM

Chocoholics sour on new Hershey’s formula

Former fans kissed off about replacement of cocoa butter with vegetable oil

By Laura T. Coffey
TODAYShow.com contributor
updated 10:21 a.m. ET, Fri., Sept. 19, 2008

Oh, milk chocolate. Wherefore art thou?

Apparently not in some Hershey’s products that contained milk chocolate for years, and that has passionate chocolate aficionados fighting mad.

Products such as Whatchamacallit, Milk Duds, Mr. Goodbar and Krackel no longer have milk chocolate coatings, and Hershey’s Kissables are now labeled “chocolate candy” instead of “milk chocolate.”

What’s going on here? On Friday, TODAY consumer correspondent Janice Lieberman reported that Hershey’s has switched to less expensive ingredients in several of its products. In particular, cocoa butter — the ingredient famous for giving chocolate its creamy, melt-in-your-mouth texture — has been replaced with vegetable oil.

The removal of cocoa butter violates the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s definition of milk chocolate, so subtle changes have appeared on the labels of the Hershey’s products with altered recipes. Products once labeled “milk chocolate” now say “chocolate candy,” “made with chocolate” or “chocolatey.”

Some say the label changes are too difficult to spot.

“A lot of people don’t notice it. The package looks exactly the same,” said Cybele May, who has chronicled the changes in detail on her Candy Blog. “I feel betrayed by Hershey’s. They’re giving me an inferior product and they’re not even telling me …

“I call it mockolate, which is basically a fake chocolate product.”

Crunched by rising costs
In a statement, Hershey’s told TODAY that consumers love its products and all its candies are clearly labeled. It still offers real milk chocolate in Hershey’s Kisses, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and its classic chocolate bar.

“And recently it put back the milk chocolate in Almond Joy because consumers complained,” Lieberman said Friday in her report.

Experts say that while many manufacturers cope with higher costs by increasing their prices or reducing their product sizes, Hershey’s change was meant to be less noticeable to customers.

“Clearly food costs, commodities costs have been rising for some time now,” Harry Balzer of the market research firm The NPD Group told TODAY. “The real question is, how will they pass along these costs to consumers without hurting their profits?”

May said the recipe change has ruined the Hershey’s taste for her. But in a blind taste test conducted by TODAY, about half of the participants said they liked the new Hershey’s Kissables even better than the Kissables with cocoa butter.

Nevertheless, some taste-testers were alarmed to learn about the switch from cocoa butter to vegetable oil. One woman said she felt “kind of cheated.”

Fudging the standards?
In terms of calories and fat content, the change from cocoa butter to vegetable oil hasn’t affected the candies significantly. Nutritionists do point out that cocoa butter can offer health benefits — specifically by protecting chocolate’s antioxidant properties. What’s more, cocoa butter doesn’t raise cholesterol levels.

Last year, a number of industry groups lobbied for a change to the FDA’s definition of chocolate — a change that would have allowed cocoa butter to be replaced with vegetable oil. At the time, Hershey’s spokesman Kirk Saville told the Harrisburg Patriot-News that “there are high-quality oils available which are equal to or better than cocoa butter in taste, nutrition, texture and function, and are preferred by consumers.”

The proposed definition change caused a furor among chocolate connoisseurs, who sent hundreds of outraged letters to the FDA. In June 2007, the agency assured them that they had nothing to fear.

“Chocolate lovers need not be alarmed about the future of their favorite product,” the FDA said in a consumer update. “Cacao fat, as one of the signature characteristics of the product, will remain a principal component of standardized chocolate.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26788143/

So... they are still charging the same price as if it still HAD cocoa butter in it...Never again will I buy Hershey products! Fake chocolate is easily detected and usually leaves what feels like a "film" on the roof of your mouth.

Hershey can choke on their products as far as I am concerned!!

Mini · 09-19-2008, 09:23 PM

Eww gross! No more Hersheys for me thats for sure

Whatchamacallit was my favorite candy bar of all time but now I guess not

Jolie Rouge · 09-19-2008, 11:28 PM

Is nothing sacred ??

:

Quote:

Products such as Whatchamacallit, Milk Duds, Mr. Goodbar and Krackel no longer have milk chocolate coatings, and Hershey’s Kissables are now labeled “chocolate candy” instead of “milk chocolate.”

I recently had a few bars - Whatchamacallit & Mr. Goodbar - and thought they were not as good as I remembered ... I just put it down to a faulty memory...

atprm · 09-19-2008, 11:35 PM

can you imagine what all that oil does to your system?? I mean, by rights, you should be able to poop better (without much strain).

Godiva and Lindt for me.

pepperpot · 09-19-2008, 11:52 PM

Eww...

or how about some "Patchi" chocolate?

http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com...TIIeNl6YzNlh4U

Looks appetising......*gag*

sponsored link

Jenefer3 · 09-20-2008, 02:20 AM

If you search, you can find that the ingredient used in some of Lindt's products is vegetable fat, not cocoa butter and they use vanillin..."For example, vegetable fats are used in some bars instead of cocoa butter, vanillin rather than vanilla. To Lindt’s credit, many companies make these substitutions to cut costs."

Another interesting thing is that Godiva uses maltitol (as a sweetener) which is known to produce a laxative effect.

Guess if you're really concerned about the lack of cocoa butter then chocolate is basically out as even the "premium" brands are doing it.

atprm · 09-20-2008, 06:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jenefer3

If you search, you can find that the ingredient used in some of Lindt's products is vegetable fat, not cocoa butter and they use vanillin..."For example, vegetable fats are used in some bars instead of cocoa butter, vanillin rather than vanilla. To Lindt’s credit, many companies make these substitutions to cut costs."

Another interesting thing is that Godiva uses maltitol (as a sweetener) which is known to produce a laxative effect.

Guess if you're really concerned about the lack of cocoa butter then chocolate is basically out as even the "premium" brands are doing it.

really I did not know that...

guess it's kind of a good thing that I am not a chocoholic.

thanks for the heads up.

Hetty · 09-20-2008, 12:28 PM

I can honestly say I HATE chocolate not a big fan but charging the same price for a knock of is RUDE....

jbbarn · 09-21-2008, 09:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pepperpot

Eww...

or how about some "Patchi" chocolate?

http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com...TIIeNl6YzNlh4U

Looks appetising......*gag*

09-19-2008, 09:14 PM	#1 (permalink)
atprm hoarding glade candles Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: in a pineapple under the sea Posts: 4,823 iTrader: (14) Thanks: 229 Thanked 1,623 Times in 838 Posts	Hershey's is NO LONGER "Chocolate"!!!! It's FAKE Chocolate Chocoholics sour on new Hershey’s formula Former fans kissed off about replacement of cocoa butter with vegetable oil By Laura T. Coffey TODAYShow.com contributor updated 10:21 a.m. ET, Fri., Sept. 19, 2008 Oh, milk chocolate. Wherefore art thou? Apparently not in some Hershey’s products that contained milk chocolate for years, and that has passionate chocolate aficionados fighting mad. Products such as Whatchamacallit, Milk Duds, Mr. Goodbar and Krackel no longer have milk chocolate coatings, and Hershey’s Kissables are now labeled “chocolate candy” instead of “milk chocolate.” What’s going on here? On Friday, TODAY consumer correspondent Janice Lieberman reported that Hershey’s has switched to less expensive ingredients in several of its products. In particular, cocoa butter — the ingredient famous for giving chocolate its creamy, melt-in-your-mouth texture — has been replaced with vegetable oil. The removal of cocoa butter violates the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s definition of milk chocolate, so subtle changes have appeared on the labels of the Hershey’s products with altered recipes. Products once labeled “milk chocolate” now say “chocolate candy,” “made with chocolate” or “chocolatey.” Some say the label changes are too difficult to spot. “A lot of people don’t notice it. The package looks exactly the same,” said Cybele May, who has chronicled the changes in detail on her Candy Blog. “I feel betrayed by Hershey’s. They’re giving me an inferior product and they’re not even telling me … “I call it mockolate, which is basically a fake chocolate product.” Crunched by rising costs In a statement, Hershey’s told TODAY that consumers love its products and all its candies are clearly labeled. It still offers real milk chocolate in Hershey’s Kisses, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and its classic chocolate bar. “And recently it put back the milk chocolate in Almond Joy because consumers complained,” Lieberman said Friday in her report. Experts say that while many manufacturers cope with higher costs by increasing their prices or reducing their product sizes, Hershey’s change was meant to be less noticeable to customers. “Clearly food costs, commodities costs have been rising for some time now,” Harry Balzer of the market research firm The NPD Group told TODAY. “The real question is, how will they pass along these costs to consumers without hurting their profits?” May said the recipe change has ruined the Hershey’s taste for her. But in a blind taste test conducted by TODAY, about half of the participants said they liked the new Hershey’s Kissables even better than the Kissables with cocoa butter. Nevertheless, some taste-testers were alarmed to learn about the switch from cocoa butter to vegetable oil. One woman said she felt “kind of cheated.” Fudging the standards? In terms of calories and fat content, the change from cocoa butter to vegetable oil hasn’t affected the candies significantly. Nutritionists do point out that cocoa butter can offer health benefits — specifically by protecting chocolate’s antioxidant properties. What’s more, cocoa butter doesn’t raise cholesterol levels. Last year, a number of industry groups lobbied for a change to the FDA’s definition of chocolate — a change that would have allowed cocoa butter to be replaced with vegetable oil. At the time, Hershey’s spokesman Kirk Saville told the Harrisburg Patriot-News that “there are high-quality oils available which are equal to or better than cocoa butter in taste, nutrition, texture and function, and are preferred by consumers.” The proposed definition change caused a furor among chocolate connoisseurs, who sent hundreds of outraged letters to the FDA. In June 2007, the agency assured them that they had nothing to fear. “Chocolate lovers need not be alarmed about the future of their favorite product,” the FDA said in a consumer update. “Cacao fat, as one of the signature characteristics of the product, will remain a principal component of standardized chocolate.” http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26788143/ So... they are still charging the same price as if it still HAD cocoa butter in it...Never again will I buy Hershey products! Fake chocolate is easily detected and usually leaves what feels like a "film" on the roof of your mouth. Hershey can choke on their products as far as I am concerned!! __________________ to my dh: share everything sans your sinus infection, your flu or your cold -- no need to regift.

09-19-2008, 09:23 PM	#2 (permalink)
Mini Go TN!!! Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Tennessee Posts: 9,220 iTrader: (9) Thanks: 1,436 Thanked 1,463 Times in 356 Posts	Eww gross! No more Hersheys for me thats for sure Whatchamacallit was my favorite candy bar of all time but now I guess not __________________ To see the future you must forget your past...otherwise your past will become your future

09-19-2008, 11:35 PM	#4 (permalink)
atprm hoarding glade candles Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: in a pineapple under the sea Posts: 4,823 iTrader: (14) Thanks: 229 Thanked 1,623 Times in 838 Posts	can you imagine what all that oil does to your system?? I mean, by rights, you should be able to poop better (without much strain). Godiva and Lindt for me. __________________ to my dh: share everything sans your sinus infection, your flu or your cold -- no need to regift.

09-19-2008, 11:52 PM	#5 (permalink)
pepperpot go ahead....I dare ya Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: exactly where I should be... Posts: 3,533 iTrader: (0) Thanks: 531 Thanked 350 Times in 212 Posts	Eww... or how about some "Patchi" chocolate? http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com...TIIeNl6YzNlh4U Looks appetising......gag sponsored link __________________ Mrs Pepperpot is a lady who always copes with the tricky situations that she finds herself in....

09-20-2008, 02:20 AM	#6 (permalink)
Jenefer3 Meet Mr. Snuffaluffagus Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: For the men who say "why buy the cow when you can get the milk 4 free" here's an update..80% of women r anti marriage cuz they realize it's not worth buying the entire pig just 2 get a little sausage Posts: 2,657 iTrader: (9) Thanks: 408 Thanked 522 Times in 320 Posts	If you search, you can find that the ingredient used in some of Lindt's products is vegetable fat, not cocoa butter and they use vanillin..."For example, vegetable fats are used in some bars instead of cocoa butter, vanillin rather than vanilla. To Lindt’s credit, many companies make these substitutions to cut costs." Another interesting thing is that Godiva uses maltitol (as a sweetener) which is known to produce a laxative effect. Guess if you're really concerned about the lack of cocoa butter then chocolate is basically out as even the "premium" brands are doing it. __________________

09-20-2008, 12:28 PM	#8 (permalink)
Hetty Gnome Smasher Join Date: May 2008 Location: paragon,indiana Posts: 150 iTrader: (0) Thanks: 8 Thanked 41 Times in 27 Posts	I can honestly say I HATE chocolate not a big fan but charging the same price for a knock of is RUDE.... __________________ I hope Stupidity is covered by your health insurance...

09-22-2008, 01:31 AM	#10 (permalink)
atprm hoarding glade candles Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: in a pineapple under the sea Posts: 4,823 iTrader: (14) Thanks: 229 Thanked 1,623 Times in 838 Posts	I dont even know what patchi chocolate is... __________________ to my dh: share everything sans your sinus infection, your flu or your cold -- no need to regift.

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