Corporate FAQ

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• Q. When was The Hershey Company founded?

  A. The Hershey Company (originally Hershey Chocolate Corporation) was organized under the laws of the State of Delaware on October 24, 1927, as a successor to a business founded in 1894 by Milton S. Hershey. For more information on the history of Hershey, visit The Hershey Company website.

• Q. What products are made by Hershey?

  A. To view a list of products made by The Hershey Company, visit our Product webpage.

• Q. Where is Hershey's corporate headquarters?

  A. The Hershey Company, 100 Crystal A Drive, Hershey, PA 17033.

• Q. How many people does The Hershey Company employ?

  A. The Hershey Company employs approximately 13,000 employees worldwide.

• Q. Whom do I contact for donations?

  A. Hershey has a deep commitment to giving and provides to a variety of charitable organizations. Visit our Corporate Contributions webpage for information to download our guidelines for Product Contributions.

• Q. How can I share an idea with your company?

  A. The Hershey Company likes to hear from consumers about what they think about our products. However, in your communications with The Hershey Company, please keep in mind that The Hershey Company does not accept or consider any creative ideas or suggestions relating to products or marketing plans unless it has specifically requested them. Therefore, please do not send to The Hershey Company any creative or original materials such as ideas for products, or any other creative suggestions, ideas, concepts or other information. Our creative departments are continuously launching new product, packaging and marketing ideas. Often, these ideas are in the developmental stage for years prior to actually being launched.

  If you choose to forward or transmit to Hershey's websites by electronic mail or otherwise any suggestion type communication or material, including any personal data, questions or answers, comments, suggestions, or the like, such material will be treated as non-confidential and non-proprietary. Furthermore, Hershey is free to use any ideas or concepts contained in any communication you send to Hershey's websites for any purpose whatsoever, including but not limited to developing, manufacturing and marketing products using such information without any compensation or credit to you. By submitting your idea to The Hershey Company without being requested to by The Hershey Company, you agree to these terms.

• Q. Does The Hershey Company own Cadbury?

  A. The Hershey Company does not own Cadbury Schweppes. However, Hershey has license agreements with affiliated companies of Cadbury Schweppes p.l.c. to manufacture and/or market and distribute YORK, PETER PAUL ALMOND JOY and PETER PAUL MOUNDS confectionery products worldwide, as well as CADBURY and CARAMELLO confectionery products in the United States. Hershey's rights under these agreements are extendible on a long-term basis at the Corporation's option.

  Hershey also has an agreement with Societe des Produits Nestle SA, which licenses Hershey to manufacture and distribute KIT KAT and ROLO confectionery products in the United States. Hershey's rights under this agreement are extendible on a long-term basis at Hershey's option, subject to certain conditions.

• Q. How do I apply for a job at The Hershey Company?

  A. Visit HersheysJobs.com to access in information on career opportunities.

• Q. Does the company still make chocolate in Hershey?

  A. Yes! Our history in the town goes back more than 100 years, and we are committed to continue making the world's best chocolate products in Hershey, Pennsylvania. In fact, the company is creating one of the world's largest, most advanced chocolate facilities right here in Hershey. This project represents a significant investment and will ensure that we continue to make HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate Bars, HERSHEY'S KISSES Milk Chocolates, HERSHEY'S Syrup and REESE'S Peanut Butter Cups as well as a wide range of other products in Hershey, Pennsylvania. We also make about a million miles of TWIZZLERS Candies each year at our Lancaster facility, a few miles from Hershey.

• Q. When did The Hershey Company first start using commercial media for advertising?

  A. TV Commercials for HERSHEY'S Milk Chocolate, REESE'S Peanut Butter and HERSHEY'S Instant Chocolate Milk Mix products first aired in the United States in 1970.

General FAQ

• Q. What do I need to do to use HERSHEY'S products for our next fund raising program?

  A. Call our Fund Raising Department at 1-800-803-6932 or visit HERSHEY'S Fund Raising for detailed information.

Idea Submission FAQ

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• Q. How can I share an idea with your company?

  A. Please visit Idea Works.

• Q. What happens if there is more than one similar idea?

  A. If your idea is submitted through its Consumer Research Team review process and The Hershey Company chooses to further pursue your idea, The Hershey Company may decide to compensate you for the idea, within The Hershey Company's sole discretion. Under no circumstances will The Hershey Company be obligated to compensate more than one person/entity for an individual product.

• Q. What if my child creates an idea. May I submit it on his or her behalf?

  A. Yes. A parent or legal guardian may submit an idea on behalf of his or her minor child.

• Q. What if I submitted an idea months ago, before you began accepting ideas?

  A. In the past we did not accept any outside ideas or suggestions. New products are under independent consideration and development by our company for many years. At the time of your suggestion, we were not in a position to reveal our product development plans for competitive reasons. On July 10th, 2008, The Hershey Company began a new program which encourages consumers to submit their ideas on our web site. Any ideas submitted previous to this date were not reviewed due to our policy at that time.

Investor Relations FAQ

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• Q. Where can I find more information about investor relations?

  A. For Investor Relations information and Investor Relations FAQs, visit the Investor Relations web page.

• Q. Where can I get an annual report?

  A. Visit Investor Relations: Annual and Quarterly Reports on The Hershey Company website for the current annual report and achieved annual reports.

Media FAQ

• Q. Where can I find current press releases?

  A. Visit our online Newsroom to view the press releases.

Nutrition FAQ

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• Q. Are antioxidants found in cocoa and chocolate good for me?

  A. Many people don't realize that cocoa and therefore chocolate products deliver many naturally occurring compounds similar to other foods in a healthy, plant-based diet. Some of these beneficial compounds are minerals such as calcium, potassium, magnesium and copper. Much of the current research is focused on another group of compounds called flavanols.

  • Because of their molecular structure, many compounds in the flavanol family can act as antioxidants. Antioxidants can have a variety of beneficial effects in the body.
  • The cocoa bean contains natural flavanol antioxidants, similar to those found in green tea, red wine and blueberries.

  To learn more about flavanols in cocoa and chocolate, antioxidants, and other chocolate research, visit our Chocolate Products Information web page.

• Q. How much caffeine is in Chocolate?

  A. The small amount of caffeine present in chocolate occurs naturally in the cocoa bean, unlike the caffeine in soft drinks which is added during the manufacturing process.

  The amounts of caffeine in specific HERSHEY'S chocolate products are listed on the Chocolate Products Caffeine page.

• Q. How much theobromine is found in chocolate?

  A. The amount of theobromine in specific HERSHEY'S chocolate products are list on the Chocolate Products Theobromine page.

• Q. Do you have any candy available for people with diabetes?

  A. Hershey produces a number of sugar free products that may be useful in a diet for people living with diabetes. Visit HERSHEY'S Sugar Free to learn more about our sugar free products.

• Q. Do your products share plants & equipment?

  A. Visit our nutrition allergen page to learn how Hershey manages allergies.

• Q. Can you send me an allergen list?

  A. We have found that allergen lists quickly become outdated as our product lines change over time. Rather than have you make purchase decisions based on outdated information, we encourage you to check the ingredient label on the package. This label provides accurate, current information about all the ingredients in the package.

• Q. Do you have a list for Gluten Free candy?

  A. The Gluten-Free Confections list is located in the special dietary needs section of our website.

Products FAQ

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• Q.How long should I keep chocolate?

  A. Most confectionery products are at their best flavor for one year after manufacture. Ingredients such as nuts will shorten the shelf life. Products kept beyond recommended "best before" date may have flavor loss or texture changes. Keep in mind, however, that storage conditions greatly affect the quality of our products.

• Q.How can I tell the "best before" date of a product?

  A. There is an ink stamped code on Hershey's products. Within that code, usually at the end, there is a two character code that represents the year and the month until which the product is expected to be within its peak freshness. The first character is a number, (0-9) that represents the year. The second character is a letter, (A-L) that represents the month. A=Jan., B=Feb., etc. For example, a code of 7D is best before April 2007, 8H is best before August 2008, and 0J is best before October 2010.

• Q.My chocolate sometimes turns tan or white. What causes this?

  A. Chocolate contains cocoa butter, a vegetable fat that is sensitive to heat and humidity. Temperatures above 75°F will cause chocolate to melt. The cocoa butter can rise to the surface and form a discoloration called "cocoa butter bloom." Condensation on milk or semi-sweet chocolate may cause the sugar to dissolve and rise to the surface as "sugar bloom." Chocolate that has "bloomed" is certainly safe to use, but flavor loss and texture changes may be noticed.

• Q. How should I store chocolate?

  A. Solid chocolate products will maintain their quality if well wrapped and stored in a cool, dry place (55-60°F). While refrigerated chocolate is certainly safe to use, we don't recommend it. Chocolate kept in the refrigerator may "sweat" when brought to room temperature and may not melt properly.

  Cocoa is considered a non-perishable item which should maintain quality if stored at room temperature in a tightly sealed container.

• Q. I can't find my favorite Hershey product at my local store. Can you tell me what stores carry it?

  A. Check out our Product Locator to find your favorite HERSHEY'S product. HERSHEY'S product line is available to all distributors and retailers. Unfortunately, shelf-space in stores is limited. Retailers and distributors determine which items they stock based on consumer demand. Asking local store managers to stock a particular product often helps to expand the selection of our products on store shelves.

• Q. Is HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK cocoa (dutched) the same as your regular HERSHEY'S Cocoa?

  A. No. Dutch processed cocoa has an alkalizing agent similar to baking soda added to neutralize the natural acidity of cocoa. It has a more mellow flavor and a darker color.

• Q. Where can I find Promotions using HERSHEY'S products?

  A. Visit our brands and promotions website.

Recipes FAQ

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• Q. My mother always made the best fudge with your HERSHEY'S Cocoa. Do you still have the fudge recipe that was on the can 30 years ago?

  A. Visit our kitchens website to view our Rich Cocoa Fudge Recipe and other delicious recipes.

• Q. Can I substitute cocoa for baking chocolate in a recipe?

  A. Yes. This substitution can also be found on each HERSHEY'S Cocoa can. 3 level tablespoons of cocoa plus 1 tablespoon shortening equals 1 ounce of unsweetened baking chocolate.

• Q. How should I melt HERSHEY'S chocolate?

  A. Visit our tips and techniques web page.

Students/Teachers FAQ

• Q. I'm doing a school report on Hershey. Where can I find information?

  A. Visit the Our Story section on our website.