The grandson of the creator of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups recently took to social media to decry ingredient changes that The Hershey Co. has made to its products.

"It was not edible," Brad Reese told The Associated Press, referring to a bag of Reese's Mini Hearts that he threw out after tasting. "You have to understand. I used to eat a Reese's product every day. This is very devastating for me."

According to the news group, Hershey, which acquired Reese's in 1963, has recently swapped out many of its classic ingredients for cheaper ones. For instance, those Mini Hearts that Reese threw out list chocolate candy and peanut butter crème as their main ingredients instead of milk chocolate and peanut butter.

"How does The Hershey Co. continue to position Reese's as its flagship brand, a symbol of trust, quality and leadership, while quietly replacing the very ingredients (Milk Chocolate + Peanut Butter) that built Reese's trust in the first place?" Reese wrote in a LinkedIn post.

Though upsetting to Reese and scores of other chocolate lovers across the globe, the recipe changes are not unique to Hershey. As a changing climate makes cocoa harvesting more difficult, many chocolatiers are altering their ingredient lists, reducing package sizes, and raising prices on their products.

For instance, one chocolate lover recently called out Godiva after opening a box of chocolates and discovering how tiny the pieces were. 

Yet even as prices rise, around 75% of pods end up as waste during cocoa production, the World Resources Institute reported. This is part of a broader food waste crisis that further drives up prices. In the U.S., about 30%-40% of the food supply goes to waste, according to the Department of Agriculture.

Martie is a brand that's helping to take on food waste by taking other brands' overstock and surplus and selling them at a fraction of the price. 

Martie has a variety of groceries and essentials, including several chocolate and candy products such as Hershey rival Unreal, which boasts offerings — including Reese's-like peanut butter cups — that eliminate artificial colors and flavors while containing less added sugar than mainstream brands.

People on LinkedIn agreed with Reese, lamenting recent changes.

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"I must say, I've quietly stopped buying Reese's and Hershey's," one commenter said. "Aside from the chocolate not tasting or feeling like chocolate, everything has gotten thinner and smaller while increasing dramatically in price."

Another chimed in: "Thank you! As a 61 yr old consumer who has eaten Reese's as long as I can remember, my favorite candy, I knew it wasn't the same. … Im all about the texture, feel and taste, it just isn't as good as it used to be."

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