Hershey bar
An iconic American chocolate-bar brand manufactured by The Hershey Company and first sold in 1900.
Last updated October 7, 2026
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Overview
The Hershey bar is a flagship chocolate-bar brand of The Hershey Company and one of the best-known American milk-chocolate products. The name commonly refers to the standard Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar, although the Hershey bar family has also included versions with almonds, peanuts, crisped rice, cookies, dark chocolate, toffee, pretzels and other inclusions. Hershey presents the product as “The Great American Chocolate Bar,” linking it closely with the development of mass-market chocolate in the United States. The product grew out of Milton S. Hershey's earlier confectionery businesses. Hershey established the Lancaster Caramel Company in 1886 and later became interested in chocolate manufacturing after observing German chocolate-making equipment at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. He initially used chocolate as a coating for caramels, but the work led him toward a separate chocolate business. In 1894, he founded the Hershey Chocolate Company as a subsidiary of the Lancaster Caramel Company. That business developed chocolate products marketed as “sweet chocolate novelties,” distinguishing them from unsweetened baking chocolate. A major technical and commercial turning point came in 1899, when Hershey developed a process for producing milk chocolate at mass-market scale. The process helped make milk chocolate more broadly affordable and contributed to a recognizable American chocolate profile. After selling the Lancaster Caramel Company in August 1900, Hershey retained the chocolate manufacturing operation. Production and sales of the Hershey chocolate bar began in November 1900. The core milk-chocolate bar uses milk supplied from farms and a company process that became central to Hershey's product identity. The resulting flavor is often described as distinctive and tangy compared with many European-style milk chocolates. The exact manufacturing method is treated as a company secret. The bar's flavor profile became especially familiar in the United States and also gained recognition in the Philippines and, to a lesser extent, Canada. In Canada, Hershey introduced a reformulated bar in 1983 in response to local taste preferences and the market's familiarity with British-produced chocolate. Over time, the product family expanded beyond plain milk chocolate. Recognized variants have included Milk Chocolate with Almonds, Special Dark, Cookies 'n' Creme, Symphony, Mr. Goodbar and Krackel. Some additional flavors appeared for limited periods, including varieties combining the bar with Reese's Pieces, Heath, Whoppers, mint, cookies, fruit-and-cream flavors and additional chocolate. The brand has also been used for novelty and commemorative products, including a large five-pound bar and a gold-colored anniversary version with pretzels and peanuts. Ingredient and formulation changes have formed part of the brand's later history. Hershey added polyglycerol polyricinoleate, or PGPR, to many chocolate products beginning in 2006 and announced a program in 2015 to remove it from more products. Artificial vanillin was also removed from some formulations during that period, while the company described the flavoring used in its chocolate as natural flavor rather than claiming the use of vanilla. The treatment of PGPR varied by product and changed again for certain bars in 2019. Today, the Hershey bar remains a mass-market chocolate product associated with American confectionery, convenience retail and the wider Hershey portfolio. Its importance is both commercial and historical: it helped establish a scalable model for milk-chocolate production and remains a central reference point for the Hershey brand, even as the company sells a much broader range of confectionery products.
History
The Hershey bar developed from Milton S. Hershey's progression from caramel manufacturing to industrial chocolate production. Hershey founded the Lancaster Caramel Company in 1886, and his interest in chocolate intensified after he encountered German chocolate-manufacturing machinery at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. He purchased chocolate-processing equipment and initially used chocolate to coat caramels. In 1894, Hershey founded the Hershey Chocolate Company as a subsidiary of Lancaster Caramel. The new business made chocolate products described as sweet chocolate novelties, helping differentiate them from unsweetened baking chocolate. The company's development of a proprietary process in 1899 enabled milk chocolate to be produced on a mass scale. This was important because milk chocolate had previously been more difficult and costly to manufacture consistently in large quantities. Hershey sold the Lancaster Caramel Company in August 1900 but kept the chocolate operation. In November of that year, the company began producing and selling the Hershey chocolate bar. The product became a foundational item in the Hershey portfolio and an important example of the American mass-market chocolate model. Its milk-chocolate flavor, made using a company-controlled process and fresh milk supplied from local farms, became strongly associated with the Hershey name. The bar's reception and formulation differed across markets. The characteristic American flavor became especially familiar in the United States and also found a significant audience in the Philippines. It was less dominant in some international markets where European chocolate traditions were stronger. In Canada, where British-produced chocolates had considerable presence, Hershey introduced a reformulated bar in 1983. The product line later expanded into multiple formats and combinations. In addition to plain milk chocolate, Hershey produced versions containing almonds, peanuts, crisped rice, cookies, dark chocolate, toffee, pretzels and other ingredients. Several variants were temporary or limited releases, demonstrating the brand's use as a platform for flavor experimentation and cross-brand combinations. Ingredient changes became a notable part of the bar's modern product history. PGPR was added to many Hershey chocolate products from 2006. In 2015, Hershey announced plans to remove it from more of its chocolate, along with the removal of artificial vanillin from relevant formulations. The changes were not uniform across every product. In 2019, PGPR was again used in selected products, including certain plain milk-chocolate and Milk Chocolate with Almonds bars. The Hershey bar remains active as a flagship product of The Hershey Company. Its significance rests on its longevity, broad American recognition, contribution to the development of mass-produced milk chocolate and role as a base for a wide range of Hershey chocolate-bar variants.
- 2019
PGPR restored in selected bars
[1]PGPR was again used in selected products, including certain plain milk-chocolate and Milk Chocolate with Almonds bars.
- 2015
Formulation simplification announced
[1]Hershey announced plans to remove PGPR from additional chocolate products and also removed artificial vanillin from relevant formulations.
- 2006
PGPR added to many Hershey chocolate products
[1]Hershey began adding polyglycerol polyricinoleate to many chocolate products, subject to product-specific exceptions.
- 1983
Canadian bar reformulated
[1]Hershey introduced a reformulated Canadian bar in response to differences in local chocolate preferences.
- 1900
Hershey chocolate bar introduced
[1]After Lancaster Caramel was sold, Hershey retained the chocolate business and began producing and selling the Hershey chocolate bar in November.
- 1899
Mass-production process developed
[1]Hershey developed a process for producing milk chocolate at mass-market scale.
- 1894
Hershey Chocolate Company established
[1]The Hershey Chocolate Company was founded as a subsidiary of the Lancaster Caramel Company and began developing chocolate products.
- 1893
Hershey develops an interest in chocolate machinery
[1]After seeing German chocolate-manufacturing equipment at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, Hershey pursued chocolate processing.
- 1886
Lancaster Caramel Company founded
[1]Milton S. Hershey established the Lancaster Caramel Company, the confectionery business from which his later chocolate enterprise emerged.
Products and positioning
An iconic, accessible American milk-chocolate bar positioned around heritage, mass-market familiarity and a distinctive Hershey flavor.
Milk chocolate bar · 1900
Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar
The core Hershey bar: a plain milk-chocolate product first sold in 1900. It is the principal expression of the brand and is associated with Hershey's distinctive American milk-chocolate flavor and mass-market positioning.
Nut chocolate bar
Hershey's Milk Chocolate with Almonds
A milk-chocolate bar containing almonds and one of the best-known extensions of the standard Hershey bar. The product has also been part of the brand's later formulation changes involving PGPR.
Dark chocolate bar
Hershey's Special Dark
A darker chocolate variant in the Hershey bar family, offering an alternative to the standard milk-chocolate profile.
Cookie chocolate bar
Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme
A cookies-and-cream-style bar that extends the Hershey name beyond plain chocolate through the inclusion of cookie pieces and a cream-flavored confectionery base.
Milk chocolate and toffee bar
Symphony
A related Hershey chocolate-bar variety offered in milk-chocolate and almond-toffee versions. It is listed among the established varieties associated with the Hershey bar family.
Peanut chocolate bar
Mr. Goodbar
A Hershey-associated chocolate bar combining chocolate with peanuts. It represents the brand family's use of nuts as a defining texture and flavor component.
Crisped-rice chocolate bar
Krackel
A chocolate bar featuring crisped rice, providing a crunchy contrast to the chocolate base and broadening the range of Hershey bar textures.
Brand decisions
2019
Selective return of PGPRStrategyBackground
Hershey had previously announced a broader effort to remove PGPR from its chocolate products.
Action taken
The company began using PGPR again in selected products, including plain milk-chocolate bars and the full-size Milk Chocolate with Almonds bar.
Aftermath
Ingredient treatment continued to vary by product rather than following one formulation across the entire Hershey bar family.
2015
Ingredient reformulation programStrategyBackground
PGPR had been used in many Hershey chocolate products since 2006, while artificial vanillin was also present in relevant formulations.
Action taken
Hershey announced that it would remove PGPR from additional chocolate products and removed artificial vanillin from applicable products.
Aftermath
The changes were not applied uniformly across the portfolio, and PGPR was later reintroduced in selected bars.
1983
Canadian formulation changeOtherBackground
The flavor of Hershey's standard milk chocolate was more strongly associated with the United States than with Canada, where British-produced chocolate was commonly available.
Action taken
Hershey introduced a reformulated version of the bar for the Canadian market.
Aftermath
The Canadian product became a distinct market formulation rather than a direct presentation of the standard American bar.
Recent events
- 2019
PGPR returns to selected Hershey milk-chocolate bars[1]
Other
Hershey began using PGPR again in certain products, including the full-size Milk Chocolate with Almonds bar and plain milk-chocolate bars, after an earlier removal initiative.
- 2015
Hershey announces removal of PGPR from additional chocolate products[1]
Other
The Hershey Company announced that it would begin removing polyglycerol polyricinoleate from additional chocolate products. The ingredient had been used in many Hershey chocolate products since 2006, with product-specific exceptions and later formulation changes.
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