Hershey shifts to simple, easy-to-understand ingredients

THE Hershey Company (NYSE:HSY) will start transitioning to simple and easy-to-understand ingredients in line with its commitment to responsible sourcing of ingredients. 

The initiative, which reflects the company’s dedication to goodness through great-tasting, high-quality products, focuses on three key principles: Simple Ingredients, Sharing What’s Inside, and Thoughtful and Responsible Sourcing of Ingredients.

The first principle—Simple Ingredients—is a testament to the firm’s commitment to offer products based on ingredients such as fresh milk from local farms, roasted California almonds, cocoa beans, and sugar, which consumers recognise, know, and trust. The second principle emphasises sharing of information from the ingredients to sourcing, manufacturing, and labelling. Hershey is keen to make sure access to such information via packaging, the company website, or new technologies will be easy.  

Third principle—Thoughtful and Responsible Sourcing of Ingredients—guides the company in its efforts to work with suppliers toward responsible sourcing of sustainable ingredients. Hershey hopes to source 100% certified and sustainable cocoa and certified sustainable and traceable palm oil.

In line with the shift to simple ingredients, Hershey plans to introduce in the U.S. this year new snacking products such as the Brookside Dark Chocolate Fruit & Nut Bars. The company will also transition some of its most popular chocolate brands, including Hershey’s Kisses Milk Chocolates and Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bars, to simpler ingredients.

The company will also continue to update its website, which will serve as an information resource containing a full ingredient glossary and articles about ingredients.

John P. Bilbrey, The Hershey Company president and CEO, noted how consumers’ relationship with food is changing.

“We spend more time talking and sharing with others about what we eat and why we like certain foods, than we spend actually eating,” Mr Bilbrey said.

“We will strive for simplicity with all of our ingredients, but we may not achieve it with every product. This is a journey and it will take time. We are equally committed to sharing what we achieve and what we don’t. For ingredients that may not be as simple, we will explain what they are and why we need them to provide the great flavours, aromas, textures, and appearances that our consumers know and love,” he further stated.