[consumerist.com]

Hershey's Milk Chocolate bars and Kisses are still chocolate, as defined by the FDA. That means that these candies contain "a combination of chocolate liquor, cocoa butter, sugar and milk or cream. Milk chocolate must contain at least 10% chocolate liquor and at least 12% total milk ingredients." No vegetable oil. No wax. The reason that Hershey's bars are different than European style chocolates is because their cocoa is processed in a slightly different manner, and they add more sugar.

If it says "chocolate" it's pure chocolate. If it says "chocolate candy" or "chocolaty" or "chocolate flavored," then it contains chocolate, but only for flavoring.

Second that. High-enders will buy the occasional Snickers bar, and the low-enders might treat themselves to a 70% cacao bar. YMMV.

Hershey's Special Dark has been my favorite, but last year I tried the really really good chocolates (especially the ones with the 85% cacao) and they are heavenly. Well worth the $2.50 I was paying for the bars.

I would die for Fannie Farmer mint chocolates, however. No childhood trip to the mall would be complete with a fistful of those suckers jammed into my mouth. Alas, Fannie Farmer is no more.

The good news for fine chocolate people is that rising costs should be muted for higher-end companies. Places like Scharffenberger and Valrhona already pay above-market rates for their beans and (theoretically) don't mess with the commodities market.

I didn't realize carnuba wax and high-fructose corn syrup had increased in cost so dramatically. Maybe they should switch to sugar and cocoa - Lindt doesn't seem to be having any problems...

That's fine with me. And 10-11% for a normal sized Hershey bar isn't much around here. The local grocery store chain sells them 3 for a $1! So. Oh noes! $0.37 for a Hershey bar!! :-p

I've always thought if I were them I'd be pretty embarrassed, since they have the licence to make Cadbury chocolate, which is a lot better than their own.

@AdvocatesDevil: No, you're the snob. Personally attacking people in a smug tone because they like things of high quality makes you the snob. You are the one asserting that because the "snobs" do not conform to your own personal worldview they are somehow elitist. Just like smug environmentalists, and smug anti-TV people. Nothing wrong with their opinions, just the way they present them. Some of the commenters were sarcastic, but they never called anyone out or mocked anyone for the decision to consume Hershey's. You think you can take the high ground, but snobbery has nothing to do with preferences, and everything to do with the attitudes regarding them

You know there is better chocolate out there than Hershey's. I mean I love a Reese's cup every now and then, but most of the straight up chocolate I eat is not hershey's.

But like others said, the prices must have risen on wax, vegetable oil and high fructose corn syrup because that is what their products taste like.

Thanks Hershey.

I strongly support price increases over quality decreases or size shrinkings.

Well that does it for me. Only high end from now on, even if it means less often.

Even their new Cacao Reserve is a marketing gimmick to distract us true Chocoholics. Sadly, Hershey bought Scharffenberger (my favourite domestic chocolatier).

For now, I'll stay with Belgium, Swiss and then Hershey.

But alas, everything else is going up but my income.

The same Hershey that can't even put enough chocolate in a product anymore to call it chocolate?

Hopefully the Hershey Wax Corporation will get bought out by an actual candy maker. This would also free the United States from the plague of fake Hershey made Kit Kat bars.

A word of advice, seek out proper Kit Kats made in the UK. It is worth it.

That's how you know it's good. Mmmh. It tastes like burning.

I see that things are a bit steeper more quickly, but once things even out, things will still be more expensive than in the year 2000.

@bohemian: I recall them tasting like soap, but yes, it's crap.

@Jandek: I work for a non-profit - our budget is basically $0.

Hmm... I expected that. Took them long enough to say it.

Didn't they just move alot of there operations to Mexico to reduce cost......

So for Hershey, Reduce cost, and raise prices. Its win-Win..

Forum issue: why the heck do I have to allow googleapis (Google API) in order to see comments? The comment section worked just fine in the past without needing googleapis.

What do you expect, get their stuff at sams club, its near-free in bulk

Just in time for Halloween! I've already seen stacks and stacks of candy bags in my grocery store.

[dontmesswithourchocolate.guittard.com]

Plus, you can always buy dirt cheap chocolate bars at Walgreens. Just wait a few weeks and your favorite will be on sale.

This doesn't surprise me. I asked Hershey for a relatively small donation of product for my business a few months ago, and the letter I received in the mail basically said "Sorry, we're broke!" with bits of fluff thrown in.

So what's up with my local meijer selling them "buy two get three free?"

Better Stock up!

I really like Hershey products (really, any kind of chocolate) . . . but 'Mounds' has got to be one of the least-appealing names for candy. Ever.